Govt fishermen fear job losses
Former fishermen in Namibia are protesting the government's decision to terminate the Government Employment Redress Programme. Workers and union representatives argue that the program failed to provide promised benefits and that the sudden closure threatens the livelihoods of older employees.
Why it matters
The termination highlights ongoing economic instability and labor disputes in Namibia's fishing sector, which is a critical industry for the nation's employment.
Fishermen facing the termination of the Government Employment Redress Programme say they are uncertain about their futures.
Johanna Enkono, a worker at Hangana Seafood, says employees have spent years in the programme without clarity on what they stand to gain from it.
“The programme is coming to an end, but we did not benefit anything from it,” she says.
“We don’t know what we’re going to take home, we don’t know what is the way forward for us.”
Ruben Twamoneni of Aluhe Fishing says the planned termination is particularly worrying for workers aged between 55 and 60, many of whom still have families to support.
He says the decision was being made at a time when unemployment was already high, making it difficult for workers who lose their jobs to find alternative employment.
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