Walvis Bay
Fish factory workers are feeling the pinch of the ongoing illegal strike of seamen at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, New Era has learned.
Some of the affected factory workers yesterday visited the newspaper’s offices at Walvis Bay to air their frustrations and worries. The group, mainly employed in the hake sector, said they have been at home for almost two months now.
According to the workers they have not been retrenched. However, since December there is simply not enough fish to process.
“We have been home since 09 December,” one worker said.
The group said the strike has had far-reaching consequences for them especially those working in the factories.
“We are hoping to go back on 01 February. But then some vessels only went out last week for catches. Some return after 11 days at sea but ours take about 45 days. Thus, we could even spend the whole of February at home,” said another.
They were informed that they will only receive half of their salaries for January seeing that they would not have worked at all during the month.
“Imagine we have been at home since 9 December and we did not even get our full bonus of N$9 000 last year. We only received N$5 000. It (January) will be one of the hardest months for us as we have to try and survive with less than N$1 600 while the school year has started with its own needs,” another worker added.
A statement issued by the Confederations of the Fishing Industries chairman Matti Amukwa confirmed that the illegal work stoppage has indeed affected the fishing sector badly.
According to Amukwa, the strike has not only negatively affected the fishing industry in terms of revenue, but all support industries and the families of factory workers and seamen as well.
“In spite of the strike, fishing companies have succeeded in sailing vessels to ensure that production plants receive fish for processing,” said Amukwa.
Increasingly more vessels are being deployed to sea with fishermen willing to work and those that are not involved in the illegal strike.