15 APRIL 2016
COMMUNITY NEWS
NAMIB TIMES
3
MMMC washes dirty laundry in public Liesl Losper Metal, Mining, Maritime & Construction Union (MMMC) launched a scathing attack on its labour partner Elgin Brown Hamer Namibia yesterday - accusing this marine and ship repair company of mismanagement, mistreatment of workers by foreigners, unfair labour practices and financial mismanagement. Workers affiliated to MMMC staged a peaceful demonstration at the company’s floating dockyard where a petition was handed to management. The heads of several managers were called, foreigners must pack and leave and the company should beef up its human resources and financial departments, the petition demands. “We want all managers that are victimising our people to go. They must resign with immediate effect,” the petition reads. Names of Namibian members were mentioned in the petition as well as foreigners. A demand was also made for an audit of all of EBHN’s contracts, accusing at least one senior member of the company dishing out a transport contract to her boyfriend at a local transport company. Workers demanded a meeting with the Board of Directors to inform the directors of the “true facts on the ground”. The petition also set out the management structure of EBH including photographs of each person and their nationality. Four of the seven members they indicated were foreigners. MMMC published and disseminated the petition under the banner of the Namibia National Labour Organisation (Nanlo) and not the MMMC banner.
Workers shortly after the petition was read
EBHN responds to the petition MEDIA HOLDING STATEMENT Walvis Bay, 14 April 2016 –Elgin Brown & Hamer (EBH) Namibia has confirmed that a petition was handed over by representatives of National Labour Organisation (NANLO) to management at 13h00 today during a peaceful demonstration. Chief Executive Officer Hannes Uys has stated that EBH Namibia welcomes any opportunity to engage openly with employee representatives within an appropriate, structured forum. “This company not only strives to put our people first; but we take seriously our responsibility to the wider community. In line with this, the petition and its content will be duly scrutinised; and immediate action taken to address concerns in the productive and constructive manner of responsible strategic stakeholders,” says Uys. “We welcome the opportunity to engage with our people to reach a better mutual One of EBHN’s three floating docks. The Namibia Ports Authority understanding. Our ethos and motto is 'One team, One goal', and, as management of EBH (Namport) is a partner in the company. EBHN is the leading marine Namibia, we are strongly committed to open and transparent communication in order to engineering and ship repair service provider on the African west coast achieve a positive vision for the company going forward,” Uys concludes.