Workers of NovaNam Fishing Company at Luderitz are demanding an employee share payout incentive.

Picketing in front of the company's main entrance during lunch hour, the workers maintain the company has unilaterally changed their 15% shareholding into an Employee Trust Fund (ETF).

Furthermore, they accused the management of keeping them in the dark about their share of money amounting to N$10,3 million.

Demanding bonus payouts, the workers allege the company management is violating an agreement it entered into with the Namibia Seamen and Allied Workers' Union (NASAWU) for bonus payments.

"The workers are demanding the company management brief all workers regarding workers' shares in the company before the end of December 20. The workers are demanding the company give employees' profit sharing at the end of each year, just like other fishing companies do when they declare profit to the shareholders."

The workers also handed over a petition to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in which they voiced their discontent over Minister Derek Klazen's alleged lack of response to their earlier petition regarding the shareholding issue.

They pleaded with Klazen and Minister of Labour, Industrialization, and Employment Creation Utoni Nujoma to intervene.

"We always send our union official to consult with the Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources regarding this matter, but we did not receive any feedback from him."

NovaNam HR Manager and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources received the petitions.

"We will then forward this petition to our executive management for their perusal and analysis, for which the company will then reply to this petition."

The disgruntled workers vowed to continue protesting until their demands were met.