Friday, 21 August 2026

Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Friday, 21 August 2026

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Namibian press · Organization

Trade Union Congress of Namibia

Also known as: Tucna

Trade Union Congress of Namibia — labour advocacy organization that calls for law reforms, warns of legal action over worker rights violations, and threatens strikes in the fishing industry.

2025-01-152026-08-21

What’s been said

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

January 2026
28 JanNew 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
January 2025
15 JanThe 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

Unions, employers dispute minister's LAC nomination process

The News

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 →

Wednesday 12 August

Unions, employers dispute minister's LAC nomination process
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 →
Labour minister blocks reappointment of long-serving council members
Labour Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel has blocked the reappointment of Labour Advisory Council members who served for up to 12 years, citing the need to inject fresh blood and promote fairness, diversity, and broader representation. The council, which advises the minister on labour matters, had some organizations resubmit only their preferred representatives rather than providing candidate lists as requested.
12 August 2026 · New Era →

Tuesday 11 August

Labour Council reconstitution sparks employer-union standoff
Namibia's Labour Advisory Council is in dispute over reconstitution: four major social-partner organisations challenge Labour and Justice Minister Wise Fillemon Immanuel's decision to seek fresh nominations, maintaining they have already submitted mandated representatives, while the minister asserts his formal statutory responsibility to appoint council members after rejecting reappointment of representatives who had served approximately nine to 12 years.
11 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Labour and business groups challenge minister's council appointment process
Four major social-partner organisations have objected to Labour and Justice Minister Wise Fillemon Immanuel's request for fresh nominations to the Labour Advisory Council, arguing that representatives of organised labour and business should be selected by the constituencies they represent, not by government appointment.
11 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 26 July

Labour unions reject salary-splitting proposal from Windhoek councillor
Labour unions have rejected a proposal by a City of Windhoek councillor to split workers' monthly salaries into two payments each month. The National Union of Namibian Workers said the idea would not solve workers' financial challenges and would instead make it harder for low-income earners to meet their fixed monthly obligations.
26 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 18 June

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 →