Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Organization

Office of the Labour Commissioner

Statutory labour dispute-resolution authority that issues arbitration awards in Namibia's labour relations system.

Society

Labour Court dismisses Best Cheer workers' review on procedural grounds

The News

The Labour Court has struck from the roll an application by 53 former employees of Best Cheer Investments Namibia to review an unfair dismissal ruling, after finding they failed to serve the application within the required 30-day time period. Although the workers filed the application on time, they only served it on the relevant parties in April 2024, exceeding the deadline set by the Labour Act and court rules.

19 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 19 April

  1. Labour Court dismisses Best Cheer workers' review on procedural grounds

    The Labour Court has struck from the roll an application by 53 former employees of Best Cheer Investments Namibia to review an unfair dismissal ruling, after finding they failed to serve the application within the required 30-day time period. Although the workers filed the application on time, they only served it on the relevant parties in April 2024, exceeding the deadline set by the Labour Act and court rules.

    19 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 9 April

  1. Employers' federation warns against ministerial overreach in labour disputes

    The Namibian Employers' Federation has raised concerns about increasing ministerial involvement in company-level labour disputes, arguing that direct engagement by the minister risks blurring institutional boundaries and undermining established legal processes under the Labour Act. Federation president Elia Shikongo called for reaffirmation of the roles of the minister, labour commissioner, and statutory dispute-resolution bodies to ensure clarity and credibility in labour relations.

    9 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 8 April

  1. NEF warns ministerial interference blurs labour dispute lines

    The Namibian Employers' Federation has cautioned against growing ministerial involvement in company-level labour disputes, arguing it undermines the Labour Act's structured mechanisms and threatens institutional credibility. The NEF cited the Tsumeb Smelter case as a precedent and warned that ad hoc political intervention risks weakening Namibia's rules-based labour system and tripartite governance model.

    8 April 2026 · New Era →

Saturday 4 April

  1. Employers' Federation warns ministerial role blurs labour dispute processes

    The Namibian Employers' Federation has raised concerns over growing ministerial involvement in company-level labour disputes, warning it risks undermining established legal processes and institutional boundaries. The federation's president cited the Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter case as an example where ministerial intervention halted restructuring before formal dispute-resolution mechanisms had concluded.

    4 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 26 March

  1. Cheetah Cement plans to retrench 87 workers by April

    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.

    26 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 14 March

  1. Mariental Municipality employees demand salary increase

    Staff at Mariental Municipality protested against being excluded from a recent government pay increment for civil servants, demanding a 3% salary increase. Union leaders warned they would escalate the matter to the Labour Commissioner if the municipality does not address their concerns within seven working days.

    14 March 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 12 March

  1. Roads Authority CEO proceeds with dismissals despite legal warnings

    The Roads Authority's independent lawyer warned CEO Hippy Tjivikua against dismissing two senior executives over a N$16 million vehicle procurement tender, citing serious procedural errors in the disciplinary process that could result in labour disputes. Tjivikua proceeded with the dismissals anyway; the fired executives have appealed, arguing the process was flawed.

    12 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 10 March

  1. Namib Mills ready to conclude wage agreement with workers

    Namib Mills and the Namibia Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union have made meaningful progress in wage negotiations and reached broad agreement on substantive wage issues, but talks have stalled after the union introduced items outside the scope of the dispute. The industrial action, which began in January 2026 after months of failed negotiations, involved nearly 700 workers across multiple depots demanding higher wages, housing and transport allowances, and full December bonuses.

    10 March 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 25 February

  1. NBC resists paying arbitration award to former dismissed employee

    The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation is refusing to pay a labour commissioner's arbitration award of N$295,000 to former employee Johannes |Gaseb, citing that he owes the company approximately N$300,000 under a housing loan settlement agreement. NBC has filed an urgent court application seeking an interdict against the execution of the award, with the matter due for hearing on 20 March.

    25 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 20 February

  1. NBC seeks court order to block property sale in employee dispute

    The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation has applied for a High Court interdict to stop the sale of its property following a dispute with former employee Johannes Gaseb, who won an arbitration award of N$295 026 for unfair dismissal. NBC claims Gaseb owes the company N$186 000 from a 2013 housing loan guarantee and seeks to set off this debt against the amount it owes him.

    20 February 2026 · The Namibian →

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