About 200 workers of the Merlus Fishing Group of Companies allege an unfair salary gap between the company's original workforce and employees recently brought on under the government's Redress Programme to deal with past retrenchments and industrial disruptions.

The workers spoke out at Walvis Bay, alleging discrimination. 

The workers are employed by the companies Abroma, Seagull and Cormorant Fishing, all part of the Merlus Group.

Assembling in protest, the workers said they are paid different rates per hour, even when they all work for the same employer, for the same number of hours, and on the same vessels, premises, and fish products. 

The workers suggest the pay discrepancies resulted from the Government Redress Programme, which saw Merlus absorb more than 100 workers in exchange for signing quotas from the government. 

The redress programme was introduced by the government to employ fishermen who participated in an industry-crippling strike in 2015, including a significant number of Namsov employees.

The workers demand equal salaries and benefits for those most recently employed, and furthermore, the company must provide all employees with transportation. 

The Namibian Seamen and Allied Workers Union believes the government redress programme can potentially cause an uprising in the industry due to the alleged pay discrimination.