The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, as a remedial intervention, will after the completion of an employment verification audit modalise how affected fishermen can find active duty employment within the industry.

This was said by Fisheries Minister Derek Klazen in Parliament on Tuesday, when he said the ministry will start consultations with recognised labour unions in the fishing sector in order to create the required understanding of the fishing quota redressing employment in the fishing industry, and who owns these quotas.

A total 612 out of 635 previously unemployed fishermen who were absorbed by two companies after the Saga and Geysir vessels left Namibian waters, recently tendered their resignation, citing breach of recognition and designation agreement.

“There seems to exist a flawed understanding and perception amongst some of the affected fishermen that the fishing quota against which the employment of the affected employees has been secured is and remains the property of the affected workers, and further that these quotas are transferable to wherever the employees want it to go. Obviously, that understanding negates the government’s objective of ensuring employment for the affected workers and the maintenance of stability and job tenure security in the fishing industry,” Klazen noted.

He further said the regretful emergence of new companies claiming to offer these workers better salaries compounds the problem, in that they required the fishermen to resign and join a new company which has no fishing rights nor quota and no active employment.

“The union’s leadership has also not been very helpful in advising its rank and file correctly regarding the consequences of their actions,” the minister noted.

He said the ministry will also continue to encourage the affected workers to guard their jobs against elements offering them dreams of greener pastures while ensuring the return of normalcy and stability within the fishing industry regarding jobs by the ministry and its stakeholders.

“My ministry and the labour ministry will begin with negotiations with the companies involved with the view to request the companies to re-instate the workers and the workers to withdraw their letters of resignations,” Klazen expressed.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency