The Secretary General of the Mining, Metal, Maritime, and Construction Union, Joseph ||Garoeb, says that fishermen employed by Blue Sea Fishing Company on the Estai Vessel will receive training on personal finance skills and financial wellness to equip them to better manage their finances as their salaries increase.

This was highlighted by ||Garoeb during the two-year wages and conditions signing agreement between the company and the union at Walvis Bay.

The union and the company signed a new wage agreement that will see improvements in a number of their benefits for the 2024–25 financial year.

The monthly basic salary of N$7,208 will increase to N$7,640, which equates to a 6% increment for 2023–2024, respectively, backdated to November last year.

In 2024–2025, salaries will increase by 6.5%, which equates to N$8,137, which shall be effective as of November 1 of this year.

||Garoeb says that the bonus is not a condition of employment and will be set and determined at the sole discretion of the company, based on the company's financial and operational performance.

The bonus payment shall be equivalent to a minimum of 50% of the basic salary for all permanent sea-going employees employed by the company at the end of the year.

The parties agreed that the company's cash advance remains at N$4,000 and that its main aim is to financially assist employees temporarily when faced with unforeseen and emergency circumstances, serious medical health implications, and life-or-death situations.

Blue Sea Fishing Company Human Resources Executive Dawid Nauuyoma says dealing with both sides of the employer and unions is not easy, especially dealing with the ones who are sea-going and work in a challenging environment.