FOA employees air grievances during peaceful protest
Unhappy employees
Employees of the Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA) staged a peaceful protest last week and demanded that a forensic audit be commissioned spanning 2017 to date on all the agency's finances.
Employees of the Fisheries Observer Agency (FOA) staged a peaceful demonstration on Friday and handed over a petition highlighting grievances concerning, among other issues, the chief executive officer (CEO), Stanley Ndara.
According to the aggrieved workers, management informed the union salary negotiation team that the board of directors had recommended a 2% increment on basic salary and a 1.4% increment on transport allowance for the 2021/22 financial year, with back pay effective from 1 April 2021. They claim this recommendation was not implemented.
The employees have also demanded the commissioning of a forensic audit from 2017 to date on all the agency’s finances.
"We want the stagnant organisational structure to be reviewed, reduce the S&T allowance budget allocated to the CEO and board, cease the December closure of the office and oblige all employees to take vacation leave during that period, and compel the management of the agency to immediately announce the dates for salary negotiations, advertise the position of principal control fisheries observer for the Walvis Bay duty station, and procure PPE for the employees," the petition stated.
The demonstrators threatened that should the FOA board of directors fail to respond to their demands by 19 September, appropriate steps will be taken with or without the knowledge of the agency management.
Faustinus Mutangara, the workers' representative, said the employees, through the union, have engaged in meetings with the fisheries and marine resources minister, the board of directors, the CEO and the management of the agency to address a number of issues, without any success.
"The agency has been operating without a salary structure for the past 20 years, while a number of consultants were hired in order to develop an equitable salary structure, and these recommendations have never been implemented."
Problems
The employees highlighted a number of grievances pertaining to the board of directors as well as the CEO.
"The subsistence and travelling expenditure by the top level management of the agency exceeded N$2 million for the financial years of 2018/2019 and 2021/22," the petition claimed.
They further claimed that the finance manager does not advise the director and management about the finances of the institution "as the S&T annually exceeds the budget."
They alleged that "there is even discrimination against other employees when it comes to these allowances when attending funerals for our colleagues. Management usually claims S&T while other employees do not claim when attending the same funerals."
They also alleged that "during the term of office, the CEO was paid 83 cumulative vacation leave days, contrary to the basic conditions of employment policy, which only allows an employee to be paid a maximum of 45 vacation leave days. There is an abuse of vacation leave days by the CEO."
Questions
The employees also questioned an alleged decision by the board of directors to grant Ndara N$50 000 to assist in funding his studies.
"He only joined the agency in 2017 and already qualified for funding in the 2018/19 financial year?"
The petition also questioned his reappointment process.
They further alleged that the CEO also unilaterally changed the deployment schedule of the observers in 2018.
Long list
They also questioned the processes of the appointment of the current board of directors. "The agency, by now, could have a new board. Some board members have overstayed for more than two terms, contrary to the Public Governance Act.”
The petition further said the number of board meetings exceeded requirements.
And it claimed that "the seagoing personnel are not paid overtime for work done on Saturdays and are not provided with the correct personal protective equipment."
The petition also alleged that "management and board of directors have never held meetings with the employees of Walvis Bay, but they have a tendency to travel to Lüderitz to have meetings. The agency also complained about a lack of funds through the media. They, however, purchased a fleet of vehicles for the ministry of fisheries and the ministry returned more than N$4 million to the treasury in 2017. At the same time, they are renting offices, which is another expense"Response
Inocencio Verde, chairperson of the board of directors, accepted the petition. He said “we will have to consult government to respond to some of these demands. We are going to study each point and will get back to you in due course. Your cries have been heard.”
According to the aggrieved workers, management informed the union salary negotiation team that the board of directors had recommended a 2% increment on basic salary and a 1.4% increment on transport allowance for the 2021/22 financial year, with back pay effective from 1 April 2021. They claim this recommendation was not implemented.
The employees have also demanded the commissioning of a forensic audit from 2017 to date on all the agency’s finances.
"We want the stagnant organisational structure to be reviewed, reduce the S&T allowance budget allocated to the CEO and board, cease the December closure of the office and oblige all employees to take vacation leave during that period, and compel the management of the agency to immediately announce the dates for salary negotiations, advertise the position of principal control fisheries observer for the Walvis Bay duty station, and procure PPE for the employees," the petition stated.
The demonstrators threatened that should the FOA board of directors fail to respond to their demands by 19 September, appropriate steps will be taken with or without the knowledge of the agency management.
Faustinus Mutangara, the workers' representative, said the employees, through the union, have engaged in meetings with the fisheries and marine resources minister, the board of directors, the CEO and the management of the agency to address a number of issues, without any success.
"The agency has been operating without a salary structure for the past 20 years, while a number of consultants were hired in order to develop an equitable salary structure, and these recommendations have never been implemented."
Problems
The employees highlighted a number of grievances pertaining to the board of directors as well as the CEO.
"The subsistence and travelling expenditure by the top level management of the agency exceeded N$2 million for the financial years of 2018/2019 and 2021/22," the petition claimed.
They further claimed that the finance manager does not advise the director and management about the finances of the institution "as the S&T annually exceeds the budget."
They alleged that "there is even discrimination against other employees when it comes to these allowances when attending funerals for our colleagues. Management usually claims S&T while other employees do not claim when attending the same funerals."
They also alleged that "during the term of office, the CEO was paid 83 cumulative vacation leave days, contrary to the basic conditions of employment policy, which only allows an employee to be paid a maximum of 45 vacation leave days. There is an abuse of vacation leave days by the CEO."
Questions
The employees also questioned an alleged decision by the board of directors to grant Ndara N$50 000 to assist in funding his studies.
"He only joined the agency in 2017 and already qualified for funding in the 2018/19 financial year?"
The petition also questioned his reappointment process.
They further alleged that the CEO also unilaterally changed the deployment schedule of the observers in 2018.
Long list
They also questioned the processes of the appointment of the current board of directors. "The agency, by now, could have a new board. Some board members have overstayed for more than two terms, contrary to the Public Governance Act.”
The petition further said the number of board meetings exceeded requirements.
And it claimed that "the seagoing personnel are not paid overtime for work done on Saturdays and are not provided with the correct personal protective equipment."
The petition also alleged that "management and board of directors have never held meetings with the employees of Walvis Bay, but they have a tendency to travel to Lüderitz to have meetings. The agency also complained about a lack of funds through the media. They, however, purchased a fleet of vehicles for the ministry of fisheries and the ministry returned more than N$4 million to the treasury in 2017. At the same time, they are renting offices, which is another expense"Response
Inocencio Verde, chairperson of the board of directors, accepted the petition. He said “we will have to consult government to respond to some of these demands. We are going to study each point and will get back to you in due course. Your cries have been heard.”
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