The unionrecently represented employees facing retrenchments atFinestar Jewellery, Diamond Namibia, and Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter
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“The union recently represented employees facing retrenchments and voluntary separation programmes at several mining-related companies, including Finestar Jewellery and Diamond Namibia and the Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter.”
Mineworkers Union of Namibiaunited with Namdeb and NAMITVEST Investment Holdings toimprove access to investment opportunities for mineworkers
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“Namdeb, NAMITVEST Investment Holdings, and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) have united to improve access to investment opportunities for mineworkers.”
Mineworkers Union of Namibiaengagedmines and energy minister to raise concerns about retrenchments
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“The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) recently engaged mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse, to raise concerns about ongoing sector-wide retrenchments as well as other alarming developments within the diamond cutting and polishing industry.”
MUNwarned thatrecent retrenchments at Almond Diamonds and Dash Diamonds point to precarious employment conditions
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“The union warned that recent retrenchments at Almond Diamonds and Dash Diamonds points to a growing prevalence of precarious employment conditions in the sector, which begs for urgent policy and regulatory reforms.”
Mineworkers Union of Namibiasigned a recognition and procedural agreement withBeifang in 2016
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“We signed a recognition and procedural agreement with the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) in 2016 and have concluded wage negotiations four times successfully.”
Mineworkers Union of Namibiasigneda three-year collective agreement with Northern Regional Electricity Distributor
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“Employees of the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) have returned to work after the company and Mineworkers Union of Namibia signed a three-year collective agreement.”
Justice and Labour Relations Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel has called for workers' voices to be reflected in national policy and economic planning, stating that Namibia must move beyond exporting raw minerals to beneficiation and value addition to create sustainable employment. Speaking at a Mineworkers Union of Namibia regional meeting in Swakopmund, Immanuel said the country can no longer export raw minerals while importing finished products at higher value.
Justice and Labour Relations Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel has called for workers' voices to be reflected in national policy and economic planning, stating that Namibia must move beyond exporting raw minerals to beneficiation and value addition to create sustainable employment. Speaking at a Mineworkers Union of Namibia regional meeting in Swakopmund, Immanuel said the country can no longer export raw minerals while importing finished products at higher value.
The Employment Equity Commission has not published its annual reports since 2019, violating legal requirements. The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations attributes this to budget constraints, staffing shortages, and software failures, but unions say the failure reflects incompetence and undermines monitoring of employment discrimination.
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia says assets held through Namitvest and Nammic investment structures have grown to more than N$900 million, funded through monthly payroll deductions from participating members. The union outlined its investment activities and recent interventions to protect jobs in the mining sector.
High school student expulsions in August 1971 sparked mobilisation against Namibia's contract labour system under the slogan 'Break the wire'. In December 1971, 16,000 contract workers across Namibia went on strike to protest the system, beginning with 3,200 workers at Walvis Bay fish canning factories.
Namdeb, NAMITVEST Investment Holdings, and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia have signed a Payroll Deduction Agreement enabling employees to invest in NAMITVEST products through automatic payroll deductions, aimed at improving financial inclusion and wealth building among mineworkers.
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia met with mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse to voice concerns about sector-wide retrenchments and precarious employment conditions in the diamond cutting and polishing industry, calling for urgent policy reforms including the pending Diamond Bill and institutionalised tripartite engagement.
Cheetah Cement has notified the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations of its intent to retrench 87 employees by 15 April, citing financial losses, import restrictions, and a blocked merger. The notice is a declaration of intent subject to ongoing consultations with the ministry and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia, and the final number of retrenchments may change.
According to the Fraser Institute's 2025 survey, Namibia's mining investment attractiveness index fell from 66 to 56, dropping its global ranking from 30th to 51st place. Industry leaders and analysts attribute the decline to uncertainty over local ownership requirements, delays in policy implementation, and concerns about new regulatory frameworks.
Beifang Mining Technology Services, a foreign-invested mining services company operating in Namibia since 2013, reports N$2.2 billion in direct foreign investment, employs over 915 staff (93% Namibian), and spent N$712 million on local procurement in 2025. The company emphasizes its adherence to Namibian labour law, employee training and development, and safety standards in response to recent public discussions about shift operations exemptions.
Employees of the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor have returned to work after the company and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia signed a three-year collective agreement that includes a 4% salary increase for 2025/26, restoring electricity services in Northern Namibia.
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia has confirmed a final agreement with NORED ending the recent strike, which provides for payment of a 14th cheque and salary increases of 4% for 2025/2026 and 4.3% for 2026/2027. Union Secretary General George Ampweya said the outcome reflects workers' resilience while noting the dispute was avoidable and criticised governance inefficiencies, pledging the union's commitment to constructive engagement and service restoration.
Northern Regional Electricity Distributor employees across eight Namibian regions have stopped work over salary disputes, demanding a 6% raise and payment of a 14th cheque. The strike threatens widespread power cuts and economic damage to businesses in affected areas including Oshana, Omusati, Oshikoto, and others.
Nored employees began a nationwide strike on Thursday demanding a 6% salary increase, leaving the company's prepaid vending system offline. Customers are unable to purchase electricity tokens, affecting households, businesses, healthcare facilities, schools, and potentially water supply in some areas.
Beifang Mining Services dismissed 11 employees at Husab Uranium Mine following weeks of dispute over a new shift schedule that complied with labour ministry guidance but reduced days off from five to four. The workers' union and company have begun discussions on resolving the conflict, with Beifang indicating willingness to seek a fresh exemption application backed by union support.
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia has expressed grave concern following a near-fatal pit collapse at a small-scale copper mining claim in Kunene Region, where a miner was trapped for several hours. Union Secretary General Fillepus Ampweya said the incident reflects unsafe conditions in the informal and small-scale mining sector, calling for strengthened regulation, intensified inspections, and enforcement of safety standards.
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia called for urgent reforms in mining labour practices, saying workers lack job security due to subcontracting and mechanisation without a human plan. The union demanded laws to protect permanent work, union access to all mine workers, and binding social and labour plans.
Employees of the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor have gone six years without a pay increase despite union negotiations, prompting the Mineworkers Union of Namibia to refer the dispute to the labour commissioner. The union has issued formal strike notice, with protected industrial action scheduled to commence on 23 January 2026.
Northern Regional Electricity Distributor workers will strike on Friday after a year of failed wage negotiations, with the Mineworkers Union of Namibia seeking pay increases and improved working conditions. The union says workers have not received pay raises in six years and that strike procedures were lawfully initiated, despite management's legal challenges.