Employees of TransNamib at Otjiwarongo on Wednesday joined their colleagues in the rest of the country in embarking on industrial action after failed wage negotiations.

About 60 employees parked eight trains hooked to 120 tankers with cargo such as cement, sulphuric acid, petrol and diesel destined for various locations, at the Otjiwarongo railway station.

Their spokesperson, Simon Ketonge, in an interview with Nampa said the strike is legal and it is being led by the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau).

Ketonge said they are demanding a salary increase of 7 per cent across the board, 11 per cent on housing and N.dollars 500 on transport allowance, saying the high cost of living in the country has not spared TransNamib employees.

“The strike has started, and it will continue right here at the station until our demands are met,” said the workers.

Staff members at the station amongst others include train drivers, train controllers, crane operators for loading and offloading goods, shunters who are the field operators at the station, train communication coordinators, technicians and several electricians.

Contacted for comment, TransNamib’s Corporate Communications Manager Abigail Raubenheimer said about 1 000 employees are in the bargaining unit, and not all of them might strike.

“TransNamib on many occasions made it very clear that it is not in a financial position to meet the wage demands, and thus management is still open to any further discussions,” she said.

Raubenheimer reminded the striking employees of the ‘no work, no pay’ rule, saying it will apply to all those involved in the strike.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency