By: Kelvin Chiringa

National Housing Enterprise (NHE) board chairperson, Sam Shivute, says that the demand for a 60 per cent once-off payment by workers at the state entity is impossible to meet, and he will not support it.

This comes as NHE boss, Gisbertus Mukulu, is up in arms with the workers who have slammed him for escalating their concerns to the board of directors when he should be dealing with them directly.

The workers, most of whom are now represented by the Public Workers Union of Namibia (PSUN), have said they do not understand why NHE cannot meet their demand, given that the entity has spent millions of dollars in legal fees fighting one employee.

“We need to bring to your attention the excuses that you have highlighted, such as the NHE’s financial performance, loan book performance and arrears owed to NHE. (These) are hereby rejected as these issues are the sole responsibility of the board, the CEO and its executives. It is therefore highly inconsiderate to use the information so requested to stall the process of effecting the salary adjustments, thus holding employees hostage,” they told Mukulu in a letter dated 14 March 2022.

When approached for a comment, Shivute said the workers’ demands do not make sense and will not see the light of the day.

He said they can go to the labour ministry, as per the provisions in the law.

“This does not make sense, and it will not happen. What happens is that when a board has resolved and make their decision with regards to any increment, if you are not happy, there are other avenues like the Labour law, which provides other avenues where you can go. So, I think I will end there. That’s the collective decision of the board,” he said.

NHE acting manager for corporate communications, Tuafi Shambobabi, also said that it was shocking to hear that employees were making such demands.

“Employees are unhappy and accusing management of discriminating against them. The issues that the employees raised to the union were issues that were tabled already internally on 9 February 2022.

“Staff members understood that the current financial position of NHE can not carry any salary increases and bonuses, and thus a campaign was set up whereby we could bring about initiatives to boost the revenue and cash flows. So, it almost came as a shock to see that employees are still unhappy, and they took this out to the media,” she said.

NHE has also blasted the PSUN for taking internal matters at the entity into the public domain via an interview with the public broadcaster.

However, the union’s General Secretary, Matthew Hakurya, said, “The NHE should be disappointed by its own behaviour and not by us going public.”

“The PSUN is recognised as the exclusive bargaining agent in terms of the Labour Act, so we have all the right going forward as from this year to negotiate and to release press statements as we see fit. The recognition agreement is not even required by law, so they shouldn’t even say that as if what we are doing is outside the law,” he said.

He said PSUN found the negotiations ongoing, joined the workers’ committee at the final stage when they got recognised, and the board first approved a N$2.3 million, which translated into the 60 per cent once-off payment.

However, he said the board made a U-turn and rejected the same, at which point the union joined the meeting that attempted to resolve the matter.

“We had a meeting with our members to give them feedback and get a further mandate where we decided that we had to engage the board, and in fact, we communicated with the team that was sent by the board that the union wants to see the board and our members agreed and that if we failed we would see the minister.”

“The board declined our request. We said fine; we understand you are in a financial mess. You can’t afford it, but now let us look at alternatives. What are the cost-cutting measures so that, come next year, we are not in the same situation? But the board under the leadership of Sam Shivute decided not to see us,” said Hakurya.

A letter was written to the minister, but until now, he remains mute, Hakurya said.

The NHE continues to be in a deadlock with its board over the once-off payment.