The Rehoboth Town Council owes NamWater and NamPower N.dollars 30 million and N.dollars 150 million, respectively, in services rendered and lacks the funds to pay the national utilities.
This was revealed by Rehoboth Mayor Enrico Junius in an interview with Nampa on Friday while giving clarity on the current strike by the council’s more than 70 employees.
The strike, which began on 29 June, has hampered the delivery of basic services in the town, such as water and electricity supply, as well as sewage removal, causing dissatisfaction and disappointment among residents.
According to Junius, the employees’ request began about six months ago, after which the council met and passed a resolution in which they agreed and approved a four per cent salary increase subject to ministerial approval.
“As a council, we took the resolution to the Minister (Erastus Uutoni), and his response was that the ministry is not in a financial position to give salary increments to anyone,” he explained.
The minister also raised concerns over the council’s existing debts at NamPower and NamWater, stating that as minister, he cannot approve an increment when the council has pressing financial issues, he said.
He further said he returned to the employees with the minister’s response and the council is now in negotiations with the Namibian Public Workers Union (Napwu).
Junius stated that there is currently an agreement with employees through Napwu that was implemented on Wednesday and will end on Friday to allow an electricity skeleton team to be availed to fix and restore electricity in Block C, as well as a skeleton sewerage technical team to fix sewage problems in Block A.
He also stated that cashiers will be available from 08h00 until 13h00 daily to allow the residents to purchase water and electricity.
Lesley Mosegedi, Napwu branch organiser, told Nampa the union and the council met on Thursday and decided that the striking employees would return to work on Monday, but that he could not reveal what was agreed upon by the union and the council at this time.
He stated that another meeting between the union and the council will take place on Monday.
“The outcome of the council’s decision will be announced on Monday. For the time being, the strikers will return to work on Monday and resume their normal duties. People on standby will remain in place until today, as they have done since Wednesday. We don’t want to speculate on whether or not the employees will receive the increment for the time being,” he stated.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
