Staff revolt hits ECN
Contract workers are demanding to be permanently employed saying they have been with the ECN for more than 10 years.
With the 2019 general election only months away, 90 Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) voter education officers are currently working without employment contracts, after they refused to sign new ones when their two-year contracts expired on 31 March.
They have refused to renew their temporary contracts with the ECN, saying many of them have been working for more than 10 years and deserve to be permanently employed.
The voter education officers are tasked with raising public awareness on elections, democracy-building and political tolerance. The upcoming National Assembly and presidential elections, which are expected to be among the most contested since the dawn of democracy, is expected to take place in November.
The ECN confirmed it is revising the contracts, while negotiating with the Namibia Public Workers' Union (Napwu).
However, the electoral body has been accused of forcing employees to sign contracts in their draft form, while continuing negotiations with the union.
Namibian Sun has been informed that since their contracts expired on 31 March, only voter education officers in the //Karas Region and two from Khomas have renewed their contracts. The rest - countrywide - are continuing to work while claiming that the ECN has not communicated what the future holds for them. They have also not received their April salaries.
A source said they refused to sign another two-year contract with ECN because some of them have been voter education officers for more than 10 years, but the commission is refusing to appoint them on a permanent basis.
“Our duties are very crucial to the ECN. We work from January to December, irrespective of whether there is election or not. Why can't they employ us permanently? This is not fair and they are just wasting our time. If they do not want to, then they must tell us instead of abusing us for nothing,” said the source.
“When we started they used to give us contracts that we renewed after every three months, then it was later changed to six months, then to nine months and later to a year.
In 2017 we refused to sign a year contract, while demanding that they employ us permanently, but they refused and only gave us two-year contracts that ended on 31 March. We are back to the drawing board and all we want is for them to employ us permanently.”
The source said since their contracts expired, they received instructions and directives to continue with their work.
The Oshana team was even instructed to work during the Ondangwa Urban constituency by-election supplementary registration period for voters that took place from 10 to 12 April.
However, to their surprise, they did not receive their April salaries.
ECN chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro could not be reached on his cellphone and also did not respond to enquiries that were sent to his phone on Friday.
He had, however, sent a letter to the ECN Napwu chairperson Joseph Nghiilwamo, which was also seen by Namibian Sun.
In the letter Mujoro informed the union leader that the ECN will not pay salaries to voter education officers until they have signed a contract.
“Please be informed that the ECN would not make salary payments of voter education officers under any circumstance in the absence of a signed employment contract as this would be illegal and unlawful. We are fully aware of the ongoing discussion and negotiation with Napwu around certain aspects of the voter education officers' employment contracts and the fact that this process may take a while to complete (sic),” Mujoro said in his letter.
“In light of the development, we urge the voter education officers to sign the revised contract in its draft form, while negotiations on the outstanding matters are being finalised. Once these issues are resolved, all officials will be required to sign an addendum to be attached to the signed contracts to give effects to these issues.”
Nghiilwamo referred Namibian Sun to Alfa Murangi, saying he is the one representing them during the negotiations. Murangi could not be reached for comment.
ILENI NANDJATO
They have refused to renew their temporary contracts with the ECN, saying many of them have been working for more than 10 years and deserve to be permanently employed.
The voter education officers are tasked with raising public awareness on elections, democracy-building and political tolerance. The upcoming National Assembly and presidential elections, which are expected to be among the most contested since the dawn of democracy, is expected to take place in November.
The ECN confirmed it is revising the contracts, while negotiating with the Namibia Public Workers' Union (Napwu).
However, the electoral body has been accused of forcing employees to sign contracts in their draft form, while continuing negotiations with the union.
Namibian Sun has been informed that since their contracts expired on 31 March, only voter education officers in the //Karas Region and two from Khomas have renewed their contracts. The rest - countrywide - are continuing to work while claiming that the ECN has not communicated what the future holds for them. They have also not received their April salaries.
A source said they refused to sign another two-year contract with ECN because some of them have been voter education officers for more than 10 years, but the commission is refusing to appoint them on a permanent basis.
“Our duties are very crucial to the ECN. We work from January to December, irrespective of whether there is election or not. Why can't they employ us permanently? This is not fair and they are just wasting our time. If they do not want to, then they must tell us instead of abusing us for nothing,” said the source.
“When we started they used to give us contracts that we renewed after every three months, then it was later changed to six months, then to nine months and later to a year.
In 2017 we refused to sign a year contract, while demanding that they employ us permanently, but they refused and only gave us two-year contracts that ended on 31 March. We are back to the drawing board and all we want is for them to employ us permanently.”
The source said since their contracts expired, they received instructions and directives to continue with their work.
The Oshana team was even instructed to work during the Ondangwa Urban constituency by-election supplementary registration period for voters that took place from 10 to 12 April.
However, to their surprise, they did not receive their April salaries.
ECN chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro could not be reached on his cellphone and also did not respond to enquiries that were sent to his phone on Friday.
He had, however, sent a letter to the ECN Napwu chairperson Joseph Nghiilwamo, which was also seen by Namibian Sun.
In the letter Mujoro informed the union leader that the ECN will not pay salaries to voter education officers until they have signed a contract.
“Please be informed that the ECN would not make salary payments of voter education officers under any circumstance in the absence of a signed employment contract as this would be illegal and unlawful. We are fully aware of the ongoing discussion and negotiation with Napwu around certain aspects of the voter education officers' employment contracts and the fact that this process may take a while to complete (sic),” Mujoro said in his letter.
“In light of the development, we urge the voter education officers to sign the revised contract in its draft form, while negotiations on the outstanding matters are being finalised. Once these issues are resolved, all officials will be required to sign an addendum to be attached to the signed contracts to give effects to these issues.”
Nghiilwamo referred Namibian Sun to Alfa Murangi, saying he is the one representing them during the negotiations. Murangi could not be reached for comment.
ILENI NANDJATO
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