NBC alleged profiteering judgment postponed
Workers to wait two more weeks
Employees have accused the national broadcaster of profiteering from a controversial strike in 2021.
The judgment in a case in which disgruntled Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) employees accused their employer of profiteering from the controversial 2021 strike has been postponed to 24 May because it is not ready yet.
The judgment was set to be delivered in the Windhoek High Court last Friday before Judge Gabriel Oosthuizen. Ndateelela Alexander from Sisa Namandje & Co represented the workers, while Rigaud Beukes represented NBC and its director-general, Stanley Similo.
In a document seen by Namibian Sun, submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, the employees claimed that deductions made by NBC during the strike in May 2021 were unfair.
According to them, some employees were only left with between N$100 and N$1 000 after deductions, while others had their full salaries deducted. Some employees, however, received their full salaries.
“This isn’t fair and exceeds the one-third limit stipulated in Section 12(2) of the Labour Act,” one of the concerned employees said.
No power
In response, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a letter to the employees, saying that “the nature of complaint and remedies sought falls outside the scope and ambit of [its] jurisdiction”.
It added that per its understanding, the matter is subjudice and that by virtue of the constitution, the office does not have the power to investigate matters that are pending before the court.
The judgment was set to be delivered in the Windhoek High Court last Friday before Judge Gabriel Oosthuizen. Ndateelela Alexander from Sisa Namandje & Co represented the workers, while Rigaud Beukes represented NBC and its director-general, Stanley Similo.
In a document seen by Namibian Sun, submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, the employees claimed that deductions made by NBC during the strike in May 2021 were unfair.
According to them, some employees were only left with between N$100 and N$1 000 after deductions, while others had their full salaries deducted. Some employees, however, received their full salaries.
“This isn’t fair and exceeds the one-third limit stipulated in Section 12(2) of the Labour Act,” one of the concerned employees said.
No power
In response, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a letter to the employees, saying that “the nature of complaint and remedies sought falls outside the scope and ambit of [its] jurisdiction”.
It added that per its understanding, the matter is subjudice and that by virtue of the constitution, the office does not have the power to investigate matters that are pending before the court.
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