Ipinge laments poor labour relations in Otjozondjupa

OTJIWARONGO, 30 MAY  – Governor of the Otjozondjupa Region, Otto Ipinge on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction with the reports of increasing cases of unfair dismissals of farmworkers in the region.
Ipinge made these remarks during the State of the Region Address attended by more than 500 people including local farmers, lodge owners, regional and local authority councillors here.
“The situation of labour relations between farm owners and farm workers, lodge owners and employees, security guards and their employers, charcoal industry workers and retailers in the region is worrisome,” he said.
Ipinge attributed this alleged deteriorating situation to harsh working conditions, a lack of proper accommodation, low wages, violation of contractual agreements, delayed or non-payment of wages and benefits and in most cases, the unfair dismissal of employees.
“Shockingly, my office has come across cases whereby farmworkers were unfairly dismissed and dumped in the corridors of roads. This state of affairs must come to an end in this region,” warned Ipinge.
The Governor told the audience that he is currently sitting with a genuine complaint of some security guards who have not received their salaries for four months from a security company contracted by Government to provide guarding services to a ministry’s offices in the region, without identifying the ministry or the employer.
He, however said investigations into this matter by his office have discovered that the company had been receiving its full payments from the ministry, but it allegedly just refuses to pay its workers.
He then called upon labour inspectors, trade unionists and the Office of the Ombudsman to join the fight for workers’ rights countrywide.
Ipinge also called on ministries to stop conducting business with companies that violate the local labour laws.
(NAMPA)