The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) has called for stronger enforcement of labour laws and greater accountability from mining companies, warning that prolonged temporary employment and labour broking arrangements are undermining job security, skills development and workers’ access to employment benefits.
This demand places employment practices under renewed scrutiny in a sector attracting investment and expected to deliver long-term economic opportunities, with concerns the benefits of mining are not always translating into secure livelihoods for Namibian workers.
Speaking at MUN’s Northern Regional Roundtable Discussion, held over the weekend as part of the union’s 40th anniversary commemorations, Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Modestus Amutse criticised the growing reliance on short-term contracts and labour hire arrangements in the mining industry.
“We must therefore pay attention not only to the number of jobs created, but also to their quality, their stability and prospects for career development,” Amutse said.
The minister warned that repeatedly employing workers for periods of three to seven months before replacing them with new recruits undermines the transfer of technical skills and prevents employees from building sustainable careers.
“That process does not properly transfer skills and we have to fight it and discourage it,” he said.
Accountability test
Amutse further argued that mining companies should not escape responsibility for workers’ welfare by outsourcing employment to labour brokers and subcontractors. He therefore proposed stronger enforcement of labour legislation, joint liability between mining companies and labour hire agencies, equal pay for work of equal value, and statutory limits on prolonged temporary employment arrangements.
The proposals could have significant implications for mining operators that rely on contractors to provide labour, particularly where outsourcing arrangements result in workers performing comparable duties but receiving different remuneration or benefits.
“This is a problem, an ongoing problem, and we cannot be silent about it,” Amutse said.
The minister questioned why workers with the same skills performing identical duties should be denied benefits because their employment is channeled through subcontractors.
“Somebody is hiding behind other things, not wanting to pay them, therefore subjecting them to subcontracting and them not getting the benefits that they deserve to get,” he said. Amutse’s remarks signal a push to shift the debate beyond the number of jobs created by mining investment towards the quality, security and long-term value of those jobs. He also highlighted government efforts to strengthen Namibian participation in the industry, saying new mining licences include conditions intended to increase local representation in management, facilitate skills transfer and expand opportunities for Namibian businesses.
Amutse also called for stronger labour inspections, improved occupational health and safety standards, and closer cooperation between government, employers and trade unions. However, he stressed that policy commitments must now translate into measurable results.
“Because I realised that we have spoken enough, now is time for implementation,” he said.
Unions challenged
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Wise Immanuel challenged trade unions to expand their influence beyond conventional workplace advocacy and become more effective drivers of policy reform and institutional change.
“Trade unions in the 21st century need to be more than the voices of protest, they need to be centres of influence, they need to be the engines of change, and they need to be credible forces for social impact,” Immanuel said.
He further urged unions to review their leadership structures, strategies and methods to remain relevant in an increasingly complex economic and labour environment. His remarks place additional responsibility on organised labour to translate workers’ grievances into concrete policy proposals and sustained engagement with government and employers.
Beyond retirement
Acting MUN president Poco-Key Mberiuana said the union’s 40-year history should reinforce the importance of protecting workers throughout their working lives and beyond retirement. He highlighted the need to strengthen support for members through measures such as post-retirement medical aid and education assistance.
“These efforts recognise that a worker’s aspirations extend to education, financial security and a dignified life beyond active employment,” Mberiuana said.
He added that defending vulnerable workers remained a collective responsibility.
“We speak on behalf of those that can’t speak for themselves. We defend the rights of those that can’t defend themselves. It is our responsibility collectively,” he said.
The emphasis on retirement security broadens the debate about decent work to include workers’ long-term financial and social wellbeing, rather than limiting protection to wages and conditions during active employment.
Labour administration
Furthermore, Labour Commissioner Kyllikki Sihlahla outlined the mandate of her office, including registering trade unions and employers’ organisations and preventing and resolving labour disputes. She explained that the labour administration provides the institutional framework through which government develops, implements, monitors and enforces labour laws and policies.
The effectiveness of that framework will be critical if the concerns raised at the roundtable are to result in improved workplace conditions and greater compliance.
The Northern Regional Roundtable was the third and final regional engagement ahead of MUN’s November anniversary celebrations, held under the theme “From the Shaft to the Chamber: Workers’ Voices, National Choices”.
– ebrandt@nepc.com.na
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