Langer Heinrich employees march for money owed

About 50 employees of the Uranium Mine Langer Heinrich marched to the head office on Wednesday morning where they handed over a petition demanding money that the mine allegedly owe to them. “We have had many meetings, but the issue was never resolved. That is why we decided enough is enough,” said Norman Jacobs, Branch Secretary of the Mine Workers Union (MUN) during the march.

The employees marched from the Taxi rank in Swakopmund to the head office of the mine, chanting slogans while displaying various placards. “If Zuma can pay back money, why not Langer Heinrich,” read one poster, while another stated: “Pay back the money, if you can’t the Chinese are waiting”. They chanted slogans like “down oppression, down” or “down skelmheid, down.”
The disgruntled workers voiced their unhappiness in the petition against Langer Heinrich for “injustice and daylight robbery that has been taking place right under our noses since 2007.” The main issue stems from a company policy that was drafted in that year stating that the company will in future pay the workers 70 % of overtime worked. “As much as we understand the company’s reasoning behind that wrongful move, we do not accept it as being satisfactory,” it states.
With Wednesday’s action the workers wish that the company pay them “back our money and it be done in a very short period of time, lest we continue demonstrating until the message gets through to the company.” The workers marched to the head office “without fear of being prosecuted or facing disciplinary action.” According to them they were nearly prosecuted internally the last time they demonstrated.
As part of their list of demands the disgruntled employees request the company to comply with collective agreements and honour them. “This is a sensitive issue of fraud and thievery that has been coming since 2007. We, the workers, would also like to buy houses and lots of things,” said Jacobs. He handed the petition over to company IR specialist Marizaan Hennop.