NovaNam employees at Lüderitz on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration demanding that the company pay out their shares in the fishing company.

In a petition read on their behalf by Cheryl Links addressed to Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Derek Klazen, the employees called on the minister to come to their aid and resolve the matter of payments for their 15 per cent shareholding in the company.

The share accounts were created for workers in 1997 as part of the company’s social responsibility in return for larger fishing quotas and a reduction in levies and taxes that the company paid towards the Namibian Government.

“We want the minister to call a meeting to resolve this matter. We have in the past written letters to the minister asking for the same meeting but to no avail. We are very disappointed with the minister as he has not assisted us or given us any feedback in this regard”.

The employees claimed that in May 2021, they received a letter from NovaNam indicating that the company will start with the payout process of over N.dollars 10 million.

The employees also expressed dismay that temporary workers are excluded from the 15 per cent shareholding, with some having worked for more than five years continuously and forming part of the company’s growth.

“Management uses their names and numbers when the company is applying for fishing quotas every year to indicate the total workforce. Excluding these employees is a big mistake,” read the petition.

The employees further expressed their unhappiness that management decided to change the shareholding of 15 per cent of the employees to trustees without their input, saying no reasons were provided to them for such changes.

The employees vowed to continue demonstrating during their lunch hour until their concerns are addressed.

Receiving the petition, the ministry’s control fisheries inspector, Desmond Bester promised the group that the petition would be forwarded to the minister.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency