A significant week has passed in the fight to secure basic human dignity and a minimum wage for the most vulnerable members of the Namibian workforce. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has announced that a collective agreement for a minimum wage to apply to entry level security officers.

The Security Association of Namibia (SAN), the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (NATAU), the Namibia Security Guards and Watchman Union (NASGWU) and the Namibia Independent Security Union signed the agreement. The agreement is to be extended to all employees and employers within the industry over the next two years, effective from the start of July. The agreement provides that entry-level security workers shall in future receive N$5 per hour, up from N$3.80 and also N$4 shift bonus, whereby a full shift is defined at 10,5 hours. Any guard who does not complete the full shift or is guilty of misconduct during the shift will forfeit the shift bonus. All employees will also in future receive a uniform from the employer for which the employer will retain N$300 deposit, refundable when the employee returns the uniform upon termination of employment. The signing parties also agreed to research a pension scheme for security guards and to present feedback on the issue by December this year.

Meanwhile the Ministry and the Wages Commission urged all interested persons and the public at large to make written representations concerning the terms and conditions of employment for domestic workers. The submissions should be delivered to the Wages Commission on Domestic Workers no later than 30 July 2012.
This follows the recent convening and gazetting of the Wages Commission on Domestic Workers by Minister Immanuel Ngatjizeko of the Labour and Social Welfare, as per section 111 (3) of the Labour Act 11 of 2007.
The Commission is chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Libertine Amadhila. She said the Commission is mandated to investigate, report and make recommendations on proposed minimum wages and conditions of employment for domestic workers throughout Namibia and on other matters incidental thereto.
The Commission is also embarking on country-wide public hearings to invite domestic workers, employers, interested individuals, groups, organisations and the public at large, to express their opinions and give input on the plight of domestic workers.
These hearings will commence on 25 June, starting in the Erongo region and end on 3 October in the Khomas Region. Information regarding the venues, dates and specific times of the hearing will be furnished by the Commission in due course.
The aim is to eventually come up with terms and conditions, as well a minimum wage for domestic workers. The commission must complete its inquiry by 30 November and submit its report to the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare no later than 15 February 2013.