Why workers will lose their jobs

ROBIN C RAINES WRITES:

I have watched with interest the developments regarding GRN's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating results on Namibia.

Suffice to say I have not been disappointed. The usual indecision followed by knee-jerk reactions from various ministries no longer shocks most of us.

In particular, the Ministry of Labour deserves special mention. They passed a directive with which they made it the responsibility of employers to keep employees in service from 17 April 2020 up to 28 days post-lockdown. In addition employers had to pay employees in full, while not receiving a cent income. All this while only consulting with, and having agreement from the unions, never mind the employers, who ultimately have to pay for everything.

What are going to be the consequences of siding with unions and workers against employers?

GRN is keeping its hands in the employment market when in fact they should only be concerned with the creation of a great employment climate. They should then leave workers and employers to get on with producing and procuring profits so that taxes and worker's salaries can be paid and in so doing stimulate the economy and cause growth to happen.

Not our GRN. They have the largest workforce in Namibia, they side openly with the unions, they do not consult with employers and then have every excuse in the book for not consulting with employers. They demand more and more from employers; more than is fair and reasonable. They demand payment of taxes and impose impossible penalties for late payers yet they also abstain from paying VAT returns to the very same employers for months, if not years.

Coronavirus has had many effects and will continue to have many effects on Namibia. It has no prejudice and does not choose to side with anyone.

Now that it has come, it will not be leaving soon, that much is obvious.

What is not so obvious, is that it is flaying open the ignorant and arrogant policies in this country.

The consequences of this ill-thought directive will be the following.

• Many workers will without doubt lose their jobs, whether immediately or after the 28 day period following the upliftment of lockdown.

• Companies will carry on and will survive, with less employees producing more, as they will no longer just keep the pay-roll full. You don't perform – you have no job.

• Unemployed people will tax GRN's coffers even more.

Coronavirus was not caused by employers. Workers and employers should have been left to bargain with each other and not have been prescribed to. This is one of the fundamental reasons of existence for any union.

Everywhere in the world we hear (and see) various government ministers and company management taking pay cuts but not in Namibia. No, here they have free farms, take full pay and benefits and then rewrite the laws to make the employer pay more. Enough is enough and this will stop because employers see through GRN.

Why would any serious investor place money in Namibia when they can do so well in Botswana or even Mauritius? Draconian labour laws frighten off investors and rightly so.

Taking from one to give to another is no answer to our financial woes.

GRN needs to do the right things. All ministers need to take a 30% pay cut, get rid of the Mercedes cars and have Toyota Corollas instead, spend money where it is desperately needed (the military is certainly not one), respect everyone's rights in Namibia, get rid of the top heavy civil service that drains the tax coffers each month, and while we're at it, also get rid of Air Namibia and other SOEs that swallow millions every month in support funding because they are simply put, unsustainable loss making machines.

Recognise that employers play a vital role in our economy because as long as they make money, GRN gets more taxation and if you kill that “golden goose”, GRN will have nothing. Focus on creating a great business climate and forget doing business yourselves.