Three striking employees of Cheetah Cement outside Otjiwarongo were on Monday morning detained by members of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) for allegedly violating a court order.

Otjiwarongo Police Station commander, Chief Inspector Nelvin Adams, headed an operation along with 15 other police officers, who instructed the employees to vacate their striking site at the factory gate.

Adams informed the employees that they have to vacate the site, saying he received a court order on Friday instructing his office to enforce the law and prevent all striking employees from entering the Cheetah Cement premises.

The employees however refused to move and their Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) regional deputy treasurer, Philemon Shipanga; MUN Cheetah Cement branch coordinator, Nafital Nghipitwako and another employee, Johannes Willem, were detained.

The three were transported to the Otjiwarongo Police Station, while 30 other striking employees followed them there, chanting songs and slogans.

In July this year the striking employees were dragged to the labour court for allegedly blocking the entrance of the cement factory.

They were also warned in a letter by lawyers Kopper Linger Boltman Legal Practitioners on instruction of Cheetah Cement (trading as Whale Rock Cement) to not block other employees from performing their official duties.

They were also told to desist from blocking trucks destined to load coal or cement and its products as the factory was allegedly incurring losses of about N.dollars 1.2 million per day.

The employees on Monday stated that their strike will continue until their demands are met.

They have been on strike since July this year, demanding a reasonable salary increase, introduction of a housing allowance, medical aid and pension benefits.

The striking employees have not been received their monthly salaries since the start of the strike in July, as per the strike rules.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency