Telecom Namibia and the Namibian Public Workers Union (NAPWU) have finalised updated recognition and procedural agreements to clarify top management roles and union affiliations, aligning with recent Labour Act changes.
The previous agreement, signed 27 years ago, is now updated to clarify the separation between management and their involvement in the union.
The revised recognition and procedural agreements are designed to align with the amended Labour Act to ensure compliance.
“The early agreement was signed roughly 27 years ago. The Labour Act has been amended and updated during that period. We have had various sessions with the union to update the agreement and we have finally gotten to a point where we agree with most of the terms and what it does is updating with the latest Labour Act,†Telecom Namibia Chief Executive Officer Stanley Shanapinda, said.
Shanapinda emphasised that the revised key clause details management can join and be members of the Union, but only the bargaining unit has the authority to handle Union management.
“The key clause that has been updated is the one about management and their participation in the union. Yes, management has the right to associate and become members of the union, but when it comes to managing the affairs of the union that’s the exclusive domain of the bargaining unit,†Shanapinda said.
He added that the new clause confirms that management members can join the union, but they cannot participate in managing union affairs.
This is to prevent any misuse of sensitive, strategic company information during negotiations and to safeguard confidentiality.
“That if you are a member of management, yes you can be a member but because you have access to sensitive, strategic, and important information of the company that you could otherwise use when there are negotiations and so on. To make that distinction clear and to protect confidentiality. We have agreed to make that very change,†Shanapinda noted.
The revised agreement addresses the confusion and uncertainty present in the previous agreement, providing clear and certain guidelines.
This is notable as the updated agreement stipulates that only members of the bargaining unit are eligible to run for executive committee positions or any other union roles.
“To be eligible for the election as executive committee or to any position in the union, you would have to be a member of the bargaining unit. That was one of the aspects that caused confusion and uncertainty in the previous agreement. With this agreement we have clarified that and there is now certainty there,†he said.
On his part, the General Secretary of the Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU), Petrus Nevonga, said there is need to put the agreement into action to achieve its goals.
“If we celebrate the agreement and do not live up to the terms and the provisions of this agreement, it will be a futile exercise, and at the end, it will create labour confrontations between us. I call on the parties to put this agreement in practice, to realise the objectives of this agreement,†he said.
