President Hage Geingob has urged workers and employers to reskill and to retool for Namibia to become more competitive as the country is embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) by implementing automation, robotics and the Future of Work.
Addressing the nation during his Workers Day, Geingob said Namibia will align its laws with global best practices to ensure that the interests of the workers are protected. He added that much still needs to be done to guarantee safe working environments for workers, despite various government interventions.
“Since independence, the Namibian Government has been committed to the advancement of Namibian workers by putting in place several interventions to guarantee fairness, to protect their safety and to improve their working conditions. Recognizing the fact that the day signifies awareness about some of the difficulties faced by workers in the collective endeavor to improve their working conditions, the Namibian Government stands with workers in that ongoing journey,†Geingob said.
The president’s pronouncement on 4IR comes after he appointed an eight-member government preparation task force for a 12-month period last year.
The taskforce was required to conduct a country assessment to determine the readiness of Namibia for 4IR, and make recommendations towards a coordinated and coherent policy and legislative framework.
