Approximately 400 former employees of Heinaste and Namsov 73 have gone without salaries for the past three months after they refused to sign employment contracts with the companies to which they were allocated.

The workers were employed at various companies, including Heinaste and Namsov 73, through the Government Employment Redress Programme.

The programme aims to secure employment for fishermen who lost their jobs due to their participation in an illegal strike about ten years ago.

They received a monthly pay of N$4,000, regardless of whether they worked or not.

Of those, about 400 were placed at the Merlus Cormorant, Iyaloo W Investment, Hangana, and Novanam and received a salary of N$4,500, but they want it doubled to N$8,500 per month.

The group has submitted a petition to the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Derek Klazen, insisting that they be relocated to Blue Chromis, where they believe they would receive better salary, improved working conditions, and opportunities as well as financial stability.

Blue Chromis is a private company owned by Namibians.

The Secretary General of the Mining, Metal, Maritime, and Construction Workers Union, Joseph ||Garoëb, criticised the ministry's decision, claiming that workers were not consulted before being allocated to companies.

"What prompted the Honourable Ministry to allocate the quota to those four companies without consulting us, knowing there is a company willing to absorb us with better salaries and improved employment conditions? Instead, they placed us in companies with low wages and poor working conditions."

In response, Minister Derek Klazen stated that Blue Chromis indicated its unwillingness to take them in.

Klazen also noted that some reassigned workers have not reported for duty at their new companies, delaying their employment.

The ministry and the union are still consulting to find a solution.