nuclear-news

Rossing uranium mine workers on strike for fairer pay

“It is the second largest employer after Namdeb. Rössing already made a loss last year, so this is big stuff.”

Rössing workers defy court order, Namibian 15 July 11, By: DENVER KISTING, YESTERDAY afternoon, Rössing Uranium employees ignored an order by Judge President Petrus Damaseb, who had ruled that their three-day strike was illegal and they must return to work immediately.

This means that by this morning, the accumulated loss for the uranium giant as a result of the strike amounted to approximately N$22,5 million. In court papers filed at the High Court in Windhoek yesterday, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mpho Mothoa, said Rössing has lost approximately N$2,5 million per shift. It has three shifts per day.
Although Mineworkers of Namibian (MUN) representative Ismael Kasuto yesterday afternoon said that the labour union will abide by the court order, he confirmed that workers have not resumed production.
Operations at the mine came to a halt early on Tuesday morning. Ever since then, workers have vowed not to return to work until they each get a N$30 000 payout based on this year’s production thus far.
They are furious because, allegedly, the company’s managing director pocketed a short-term incentive package of more than N$500 000, general managers more than N$400 000, managers more than N$240 000 and superintendents more than N$160 000 based on last year’s production. The bargaining unit employees received N$11 000 before tax……

Members of the Police’s Special Reserve Force were deployed on the premises yesterday. It is understood that they were on standby armed with AK47s and teargas……

July 15, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | employment, Namibia, Uranium