The Office of the Labour Commissioner is hosting the regional stakeholder consultations on the proposed Commission for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Bill.

The consultations follow Cabinet approval of a policy framework to establish a dedicated commission that will strengthen how labour disputes are handled. 

Consultations will be held in all the country's 14 regions, giving the public, trade unions, employers, organisations and civil society an opportunity to engage and make input to the draft Bill.

The Labour Commissioner and Chairperson of the Technical Working Group, Kyllikki Sihlahla, says the move toward independence aligns with regional and international standards.

"Following the SADC module framework, which Namibia is a member state of, they came up with a decision to say we should have all alternative dispute resolution institutions independent and autonomous. And this was also supported by the ILO recommendations and emphasis on having all institutions dealing with labour matters be independent and autonomous. And one maybe may ask, why independent, and independent from what? In the context of dispute resolution, independence primarily protects impartial decision-making, as it ensures that parties can have confidence that outcomes are not influenced by political or administrative interest."

The consultations are designed to ensure transparency, inclusivity and participatory lawmaking, with input from workers, employers, legal practitioners, civil society and the general public.