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namib times SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6371 FRIDAY 18 JULY 2014 Tel: 064 - 205854 / 064 - 461866 / Fax: 064 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Pay increase for security workers
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Little Bakers Club
Madelaine Laubscher
Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (NATAU) informed its members and the general public of the conclusion of the recent collective and minimum wage agreement negotiations for the security sector. Mr Matuundju King Kavaka, a spokesperson of the union, said the collective minimum wage in Namibia sets minimum hourly rates that employers must pay their workers. According to him it covers almost all workers in Namibia in the security sector. “The main aim of this agreement is to sustain and improve the living standards of workers in the sector, to reduce poverty and very importantly, to maintain social peace. The agreement runs until 2016 for renegotiations,” he said. The criteria that were used to determine the minimum wage involved the needs of employees and their dependents, the capacity of the employer to pay, the level of wages in Namibia, the existing social benefits such as social security, the economic factors and the requirement of economic development. Kavaka said there are no variations or exclusions based on region, the size of the employer, the industrial sector or occupation. “Workers cannot be excluded on the basis of their hours of work, employment pattern, length of service or contract status. Every security officer in Namibia is entitled to the minimum wage. The breakdown of how the wages are set from now until 2016 are as follows: The new minimum entry level as from 1 August 2014 will be N$5.30. This will then be adjusted to N$6.75 on 1 August 2015. Salary increments for all employees currently earning N$5.00 per hour will now be N$6.75 hourly. Continues on page 2
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Statement on EPA
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CRIME BUSTERS: Delegates at the CID conference
Legends Studio
Investigate the crimes Marshallino Beukes The Minister of Safety and Security, Mr Immanuel Ngatjizeko, officially opened the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) Conference on Wednesday in Swakopmund and, in no uncertain terms, spoke out against the piling up of unsolved criminal cases in the country. Minister Ngatjizeko stated that critically and objectively that the liaising between memthis scenario paves the way for address these challenges and ber countries is within the people to come to the conidentify remedies for effective mandate of the CID. “It is exclusion that some investigators solutions. He further noted that pected that your office coare unable or unwilling to do the State has paid thousands of ordinates with the Ministry of their jobs. He further dollars over the years to Justice to ensure that fugitives emphasised the fact that many compensate claims, related to are timely extradited to the of these unsolved cases are unlawful detention of offenrequesting countries,” he reinternal cases against some ders. This, according to the marked. police force members and Minister, can be avoided if Minister Ngatjizeko noted insisted that this issue receives proper investigations are conthey recognised that, although the necessary attention and be ducted before arrests. He crime is a national problem, its resolved. advised that preliminary control is primarily the “In some instances, cases are investigation should be conGovernment's responsibility withdrawn at court, due to the ducted in each case and serious and said that when officials fail fact that a case docket was not cases be guided by the Office to prevent, or cannot deal brought to court, or cases are of the Prosecutor General. effectively with crime, negapostponed several times, beNgatjizeko furthermore pointive consequences will follow. cause the investigation is inted out the fact that Namibia “The escalating crime rate complete or outstanding,” has made headlines in tracing requires that resources, which Ngatjizeko stated. and arresting of wanted fugicould be devoted to other He urged the Conference to Continues on page 2 tives from other countries and
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Gospel Queen
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Somaeb
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