National Youth Service (NYS) Executive for Human Resources and Information and Communication Technology Services, Wilhelm Kafidi assured their security officers that they will receive their minimum wage salaries effective from 01 April 2023.

Addressing NYS’s security officers on Wednesday during their illegal two-day strike, Kafidi said employees will receive N.dollars 10 per hour as stated in the 2017 Government Gazette Article 9, subsection 3.

”The matter has already been resolved and a settlement agreement has been made with the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (NATAU),” Kafidi assured the officers.

The reason behind NYS not paying minimum wage to employees is because the rates they offer clients “are very low and can only be rectified once rates are adjusted”, he explained.

The strike which commenced on Tuesday came as disgruntled employees did not receive their December salaries which NYS promised to pay them on 15 January this year.

However, the payment was still delayed for three days and the salaries only got processed on Wednesday (18 January).

NYS shop steward committee leader Erastus Nghidulika was not amused with Kafidi’s sentiment.

“It is a gazetted minimum wage from 2017, meaning since then you did not know that minimum wage was supposed to be complied with by now. That is why people are taking illegal action to demand their rights, because this is a government institution,” Nghidulika said furiously.

Erenfried Katjipuka, the regional officer of NATAU encouraged employees to return to work as a meeting would be held on Wednesday and Friday to further address their concerns.

“We heard that our actions here to continue striking will have consequences. While we have been given that opportunity to go back to work colleagues, we must return to work,” Katjipuka urged the employees.

In addition, Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) economic commissar Michael Amushelelo was also in attendance and told Nampa on Wednesday that “this the government of Namibia failing to pay its own people”.

“It is a shame that people have to strike, in order to demand for what is rightfully theirs,” Amushelelo said.

Amushelelo is of the opinion that workers should not return to work if their demands are not met.

“We are going to remain strong and united until our demands are met,” he said.

(NAMPA)

Source: The Namibian Press Agency