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Friday, 26 June 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 26 June 2026
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Namibian press · Organization

Trade Union Congress of Namibia

Also known as: Tucna

Trade union confederation that has called for labour law reforms and threatened legal action over workers' rights violations in Namibia's fishing industry.

2025-01-152026-06-26
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What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. June 2026

  2. Windhoek Observer

    Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) called for urgent reforms to labour legislation

    Source

    “The Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) has called for urgent reforms to labour legislation after Namibia was classified as a regular violator of workers' rights in the 2026 International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index.”

    TUCNA urges govt to fix labour rights gaps
  3. March 2026

  4. New Era

    Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) argues that a multi-pronged approach is essential to bridge gaps in labour protection

    Source

    “Experts and labour unions, such as the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA), argue that a multi-pronged approach is essential to bridge these gaps:”

    Opinion – Invisible hands: Protecting Namibia’s ‘invisible’ workers

  5. The Namibian

    Trade Union Congress of Namibia has raised concerns about working conditions, delayed wages and job security across fishing industry

    Source

    “Unions, including the Trade Union Congress of Namibia, have raised concerns about working conditions, delayed wages and job security across the industry, and have warned of possible legal action against companies that fail to comply with labour laws.”

    Fisheries hooks labour in Samherji payouts
  6. February 2026

  7. New Era

    Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) has threatened to destabilise the fishing industry if workers' concerns are not addressed

    Source

    “Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) president, Paulus Hango, backed by fishing industry workers, has threatened to destabilise the fishing industry if workers' concerns are not addressed.”

    Union threatens nationwide fishing strike

  8. The Namibian

    Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) warns that it may take legal action against fishing companies if workers' rights continue to be ignored

    Source

    “The Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) warns that it may take legal action against companies in the fishing industry if workers' rights continue to be ignored.”

    Tucna threatens legal action over fishing row
  9. January 2026

  10. New Era

    Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) president Paulus Hango is rejecting retrenchments of Gendev

    Source

    “Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) president, Paulus Hango, yesterday told New Era that they are rejecting the retrenchments of Gendev as the company did not follow proper channels.”

    Retrenchment  hits  over 480  Gendev  workers
  11. January 2025

  12. The Namibian

    The Trade Union Congress of Namibia's secretary general, Mahongora Kavihuha said the education ministry needs to hire better teachers to improve school performance.

    Source

    “The Trade Union Congress of Namibia's secretary general, Mahongora Kavihuha, yesterday said the education ministry needs to hire better teachers to improve school performance.”

    28 700 fail to qualify for university
Politics

Employment Equity Commission fails to publish reports for five years

The News

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.

Why it matters

Employment Equity Commission's five-year failure to publish required reports undermines monitoring of workplace discrimination and legal accountability.

18 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 18 June

  1. Employment Equity Commission fails to publish reports for five years

    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.

    18 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 5 June

  1. TUCNA calls for labour law reforms after rights violations rating

    The Trade Union Congress of Namibia has called for urgent reforms to labour legislation after Namibia was placed in the "orange" category of the International Trade Union Confederation's Global Rights Index for violations of workers' rights. TUCNA highlighted concerns over restrictions affecting trade union registration, collective bargaining, and the right to strike, noting that while Namibia's labour framework provides strong protections on paper, workers face procedural and administrative barriers in practice.

    5 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 6 May

  1. New rules require interest on late pension benefit transfers

    Pension and retirement funds must now pay interest to members if benefits are not transferred within 60 days of request, under regulations from the Financial Institutions and Markets Act 2021 that came into effect on 1 May. Employers must also pay retirement contributions on time or face interest charges, with both employers and their directors liable for unpaid contributions.

    6 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 26 April

  1. Minister orders inquiry into tribal bias at Roads Authority

    Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi ordered an investigation into alleged tribal bias in recruitment at the Roads Authority, finding it employs about 74 people from the Zambezi region compared to more than 300 from northern Namibia. The probe has revived broader allegations of tribalism in hiring practices across Namibian state-owned enterprises and government offices.

    26 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 15 April

  1. Civil servants face Psemas reforms, reapply by August deadline

    The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations has ordered civil servants to reapply for Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme benefits by end of August following reforms to the scheme's operations. Trade unions have criticized the lack of consultation and warned that reported increases in medical aid contributions could severely impact civil servants' finances.

    15 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 27 March

  1. Labour laws must protect informal and domestic workers

    Domestic workers, farm labourers, and construction crews operate in legal grey zones without basic protections like minimum wage enforcement, health insurance, or access to bank loans for housing. Experts and labour unions call for universal legal coverage, mandatory written contracts, social protection floors, and land reform to ensure dignity of work for Namibia's informal sector.

    27 March 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 25 March

  1. Fisheries ministry passes Samherji workers' compensation claims to Labour

    The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has referred compensation claims from 252 former Samherji employees to the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, noting that affected workers were already considered under a government redress programme aimed at reintegrating them into the fishing industry following the company's 2019–2020 closure. Some former employees argue that placement at other companies does not fully address their financial losses.

    25 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 11 March

  1. Omusati education director bans teachers from side businesses

    The education director in Omusati region has ordered teachers to cease all unauthorized income-generating activities outside their full-time jobs, warning of audits and disciplinary action under the Public Service Act. Teachers have resisted the directive, arguing that their low salaries force them to seek additional income to cover loans and living expenses, with union leaders noting the rule applies to all public servants but should be enforced more educatively.

    11 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 February

  1. President to use public hospitals under new Psemas directive

    President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will use public health facilities after issuing a directive for state employees under the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas) to do the same as part of healthcare system reform. The Ministry of Health says it is strengthening medicine supply and staffing, though some civil servants question whether public hospitals are adequately resourced to handle increased patient loads.

    25 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 19 February

  1. Fishing union threatens strike over worker exclusion, job losses

    Tucna president Paulus Hango warned of a nationwide fishing industry strike if workers' concerns are not addressed, citing over 600 job losses last year, 490 jobs at risk, unpaid workers since October, and systematic exclusion of unions from employment agreements signed by government and companies. Workers also raised concerns including lack of protective equipment, quota allocation issues, and inadequate consultation before layoffs.

    19 February 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 18 February

  1. Tucna threatens court action over fishing industry worker rights

    The Trade Union Congress of Namibia warns it may pursue legal action against fishing companies including Gendev Fishing over workers' complaints of poor conditions, delayed salaries, and unsafe working environments. Workers across multiple fishing firms report delayed pay, inconsistent hours, lack of benefits, and inadequate protective equipment despite repeated attempts to resolve disputes with management.

    18 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 28 January

  1. Gendev notifies ministry of 489 worker retrenchment

    Horse mackerel processing company Gendev Fishing Group has notified the labour ministry of a contemplated retrenchment of 489 employees, citing sustained financial losses and reduced revenue. If implemented, the layoffs would bring total job losses in the wet-landed pelagic fishing sector to 1,100 since December, though the company says no final decision has been made pending mandatory consultation.

    28 January 2026 · New Era →

Trade Union Congress of Namibia — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute