Also known as: OLC
Office of the Labour Commissioner — handles labour disputes and arbitration cases, receiving referrals from the Ministry and managing a backlog-reduction initiative launched in July 2026.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Office of the Labour Commissioner
Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
The Namibian
Office of the Labour Commissioner awarded N$295 026 to Johannes Gaseb through arbitration
“Gaseb filed for unfair dismissal with the Office of the Labour Commissioner, which awarded him N$295 026 through arbitration, to be paid on or before 20 November 2025.”
NBC seeks High Court order to stop property sale linked to ex-employee disputeThe Namibian
Office of the Labour Commissioner received a dispute referral from workers employed by the City of Windhoek
“The workers have referred a dispute with the City of Windhoek to the Office of the Labour Commissioner.”
Court order agreed in case about city cleaners’ strikeEntrepo Namibia retrenched 25 workers by end of July and expects more job losses after the government suspended its payroll deduction system, which the company relied on to issue loans to civil servants and recover repayments via salary deductions.
14 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Entrepo Namibia retrenched 25 workers by end of July and expects more job losses after the government suspended its payroll deduction system, which the company relied on to issue loans to civil servants and recover repayments via salary deductions.
14 October 2026 · The Namibian →
A labour arbitrator has ordered the Ministry of Health and Social Services to pay N$2.78 million to 21 former employees of Katutura Intermediate Hospital whose fixed-term contracts were not renewed at the end of 2022. The arbitrator found the dismissal was without valid reason or fair procedure, and awarded each worker 27 months' salary in compensation.
14 October 2026 · The Namibian →
A Windhoek cashier earning N$1,900–N$2,500 monthly says low wages trap workers in poverty despite employment. With inflation at 4.4%, rising transport and fuel costs, and unemployment at 36.9%, Namibia's working poor struggle to afford food, rent, and schooling.
12 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Namdeb branch members of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia staged a demonstration demanding that the company recognise their newly elected branch chairperson, Laina Festus, who secured 510 votes in elections held from 18 to 31 August. The union argues that Namdeb's withdrawal of Festus's recognition as a part-time shop steward does not disqualify her from serving as branch chairperson, and is challenging allegations of misconduct against her that remain before the Office of the Labour Commissioner.
3 October 2026 · The Namibian →
The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations received 1,103 labour complaints during the first quarter of 2026/27, with workers raising concerns chiefly about overtime payments, minimum wages, remuneration, and unlawful deductions. Of these complaints, 977 were resolved and 126 referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner; enforcement action recovered N$1.39 million for affected employees.
29 September 2026 · New Era →
The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations recorded progress in employment services and labour-law enforcement in the first quarter of 2026/27, registering 3,487 jobseekers, reporting 706 vacancies, and making 257 job placements. During the quarter, 759 workplaces were inspected with 70% found compliant, while four cases of child labour were identified and five non-fatal workplace accidents were reported.
15 September 2026 · Informanté →
New minimum wages and employment conditions for construction workers came into force on 1 September and will remain in place for two years. Labourers and general workers will earn a minimum of N$20.43 per hour in the first year, rising to N$21.45 per hour from 1 September 2027, with the agreement also requiring employers to provide protective equipment and setting productivity standards.
5 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia said a labour arbitration award in favour of the Revolutionary Union does not automatically affect MUN's recognition or bargaining rights at Rössing Uranium and Husab Mine. MUN general secretary George Ampweya stated the union remains the majority union at both operations and its status as recognised bargaining agent remains intact unless lawfully altered through statutory and contractual processes.
14 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Labour unions and employer organisations have accused justice and labour relations minister Wise Immanuel of attempting to unilaterally select representatives for the Labour Advisory Council. The groups say they have already submitted their preferred nominees according to established practice, but Immanuel has asked organisations entitled to three representatives to submit six names for him to choose from, and those entitled to one to submit two.
12 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibian contract workers on TotalEnergies' offshore oil project say they were handed new employment terms on a 'take-it-or-leave-it' basis with no room to negotiate, citing concerns about no pension, limited medical aid, and years without salary increases. TotalEnergies and recruitment firm Apos deny wrongdoing, saying the new terms improve pay and benefits.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Office of the Labour Commissioner has launched Standard Operating Procedures and highlighted progress in a Business Process Re-engineering initiative aimed at reducing backlogs and improving service delivery. Deputy Minister Brandt stated the SOPs were recommended by the International Labour Organization and seek to establish an efficient, transparent labour justice system centred on fair treatment across all regional offices.
20 July 2026 · Informanté →
The High Court has postponed judgment in the Road Fund Administration's appeal against an arbitration award that ordered the reinstatement of two dismissed employees and awarded them more than N$1.47 million in compensation until 11 September 2026. The RFA is challenging an arbitration finding that the dismissal of Winfred Kabunga and Naomi Mathews on 31 August 2021 was substantively unfair, with the arbitrator concluding the RFA failed to prove allegations of dishonesty, misrepresentation and gross negligence.
16 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Tsumeb Municipality is challenging a Labour Commissioner's ruling that ordered it to reinstate a former firefighter assistant and pay him N$108 000 in outstanding wages. The arbitrator found the dismissal procedurally unfair and ordered reinstatement from 1 May 2026 and payment by 28 May, but the municipality has not complied and plans to appeal to the High Court.
15 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Labour Court has referred a dispute between state-owned Namcor Petroleum Trading and Distribution and its former managing director Imms Mulunga back to arbitration, after ruling that an arbitrator wrongly dismissed the case in June. Mulunga was dismissed in August 2024 after being found not guilty in a disciplinary hearing, and Namcor subsequently referred claims against him for breach of contract and financial losses to the Labour Commissioner in October 2024.
13 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Standard Bank Namibia workers are threatening industrial action after wage negotiations collapsed, with the union demanding a 7% salary increase while the bank has offered 5%. The union accuses management of rewarding executives with bonuses while refusing to meaningfully improve staff salaries, despite the bank generating N$1.2 billion in profit.
5 July 2026 · The Namibian →
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.
22 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Metal and Allied Namibian Works Union announced that Furnmart & Home Corp Namibia employees will strike on Monday following a vote in which 467 of 630 voting employees supported the action over failed negotiations on salary increments and housing allowances. The workers demanded an 8% salary increase and N$500 housing allowance, while the company offered 5% and no housing allowance.
19 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The Cabinet has reduced the benefits of former first lady Monica Geingos, limiting her to three household staff members and two state-sponsored vehicles effective 1 June, down from her current seven employees. The new policy applies to former first ladies whose husbands die before them, but does not affect founding first lady Kovambo Nujoma.
12 May 2026 · The Namibian →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Namib Mills and the Namibian Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union reached a partial agreement on wages after a three-week strike involving over 95% of workers, with the minister's mediation securing agreement on yearly salary boosts, salary adjustments, and allowances; three issues remain unresolved.
2 February 2026 · New Era →
Namib Mills has offered employees a 10% salary increment, which the company says is three times the inflation rate, but falls short of the union's demand for a 36% increase. Workers have entered their seventh day of striking while the company has implemented a lockout, with disputes over salary equity and allegations of strike rule violations.
19 January 2026 · New Era →