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Rehire the Namibia Rossing Miners! Letter To Chinese President Xi-Jinping

by Labor Video Project
Namibia Mineworkers Union Rossing branch union leaders were fired by the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNN in a major union busting move. They discuss the illegal actions of the CNN and the corruption in their own national union leadership and then read their letter to President Xi-Jinping. They called on him to rehire the 9 members and end the attacks on Namibian workers.
sm_namibia_president_hage_geingob_china_handshake.jpg
Rehire the Namibia Rossing Miners! Letter To Chinese President Xi-Jinping From Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Unionists & CNNC Role In Namibia

The Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Branch leaders chair Johannes Hamutenya and Secretary George Martin report
on recent developments in their struggle against their illegal firing as well as seven other executive members. They also read
a publici letter to Chinese President Xi-Jinping calling for their reinstatement.

They outline the attack on their union by the state owned Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC. The company has
not only illegally fired nine former officers and members of their executive committee but have also fired the newly elected
chair of the Rossing branch without even a hearing.

They also report on the bribery and corruption of the national leadership of the Namibia Mine Workers Union and the attacks
on the Namibia Fisherman's Association and the Dock workers union in Namibia.

Chair Johannes Hamutenya in their letter calls on Chinese President Xi-Jinping to reinstate the fired union leaders back to
their positions and end the union busting by the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC.

This interview was done on 2/8/21.

Additional media:
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) Rossing Branch & The Struggle of The Namibian Working Class
https://youtu.be/1LCD5ZuAgvc

Namibian Rössing Mine Workers Face Covid-19 & Attacks From State Owned China National Uranium Corporation Limited (CNUC)
https://youtu.be/pHsDDqy_WPU

Namibia Rössing, union in wage deadlock
https://www.namibian.com.na/198882/archive-read/Rössing-union-in-wage-deadlock

China and Namibia Rössing Workers on Collision Course
https://www.facebook.com/informantenam/posts/3090166147716991/

Namibia MUN claims China National Nuclear Corporation is falling short of its Rossing promises
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nLuFIxwcIM&feature=emb_logo
https://www.nbc.na/news/mun-claims-china-national-nuclear-corporation-falling-short-its-rossing-promises.29304

Namibia Rössing uranium mine union members face dismissal by Chinese owners
https://www.namibian.com.na/203896/archive-read/Rössing-union-members-face-dismissal

Swapo, what is 'Socialism with a Namibian Character’?
https://www.namibian.com.na/183845/archive-read/Letter-of-the-Week--Swapo-what-is-Socialism-with-a-Namibian-Character

Namibia says China can buy Rio's uranium stake if it respects laws
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-rio-tinto-namibia-china/namibia-says-china-can-buy-rios-uranium-stake-if-it-respects-laws-idUSKCN1SZ0UR

Anatomy of a Bribe & Fish Rot Files
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FJ1TB0nwHs

WorkWeek
https://soundcloud.com/workweek-radio

Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.laborvideo.org

Solidarity Movement for the Unfairly Dismissed Branch Executive Committee of Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Branch

We reach out to you our brothers and sisters,fellow workers and comrades across all corners of the world to stand with us in solidarity against victimization, intimidation, abuse of powers and employers that don’t follow the labor laws and legislation of the country.

The management of Rossing Uranium Ltd. Is one of those employers that did so on the 29th September 2020 when they decided to unlawfully and unprocedurally dismiss the entire branch executive committee of 9 employees in their individual capacities for allegations they claim we apparently acted as a unit and for being part of the branch executive committee making this an attack on the Union.

We condemn this cowardly acts because not only have they violated the Namibian Constitution, the Labour Act 11 of 2007, the Procedural (Recognition) Agreement of 14th November 1988 but they have infringed on the very rights our forefathers gave us through the birth of independence and through various great strikes of workers. The birth of the Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN) was at Rossing Uranium Ltd in the 1970’s and most of the Union leaders elected in office will attest to this, “from the very first day you become a Union Leader at Rossing Uranium Branch, its like the spirits of our forefathers come over you and guide you in everything you do with only one goal and that is to work for the people’’.

Since we took up office in 2017 we made it our aim to stand up for workers right; to stop any violations from the company; to built sound labour relations with the company; to educate and train our members on company policies,agreements and conditions of employment; to expose criminal activities and never compromise anything.

The Rossing Uranium management wrote letters with intensions of renegotiating our conditions of employment to worse off conditions on a number of occasions but we reminded them that those condition did not come on a silver platter and that the Labour Act of Namibia says that an employer cannot change an existing condition to a worse off one and if there is a dispute on a condition of employment the condition that is better off prevails. This frustrated the management, who threatened to remove the Union office, branch chairperson’ full-time office and boardroom on site in an effort to disable and sabotage Union activities of the branch executive committee. They further started targeting Union leaders ( the regional chairperson, the general secretary and a former national president of the Union) with a price tag on their heads to start plotting against us. It was the general secretary and the regional chairperson of MUN that betrayed us through a letter they wrote to the company saying that the branch did not have authority to appoint a lawyer to act on the branch’ behalf of which the MUN Constitution says otherwise, the sad story is the company has the audacity to ask the national office whether the branch had permission or not, and a Union member of MUN is a juridical person and the Rossing Uranium Ltd is a juridical person and neither persons have authority over the other on how each runs their affairs.

This dismissal have affected not us but our family, extended family and the community we serve emotionally; physically and financially as we were dismissed for standing up for the workers rights and conditions, the employers are doing what they want because they have the financial muscles do what they want and if they get any resistance from anyone they deal with them any way they see fit. We have each worked an average of more than 10 years for Rossing Uranium Ltd and some of us our fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, nieces and cousins have worked for Rossing and that inspired us to go work there.

It is really hurtful to loose your job like that and not knowing what the future holds for you, we are still young and still have many more years to work, the oldest of our comrade is 49 years and the youngest 32 years. We currently facing serious financial and emotional hardships as a result of this dismissals.

We call on every worker and every comrade to stand with us in solidarity and condemn any employer that is in violation of workers rights. We also appeal to comrades, brothers and sisters to assist us with any financial support during this time as we fight Rossing Uranium Ltd through the justice system for their unlawful acts.

The Union will always advocate for fairness, equal treatment and justice for all.

In solidarity the Dismissed BEC Rossing Branch.

Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Branch Letter to Chinese President Xi-Jinping

In Africa there is a thread that connects us together, we believe in an African adage" Muntu Muntu Movantu" a person is a person because of persons.

It was never the rabbit or tortoise, the lion or the ant, it is and was always all about the community, sharing and caring for one another and that is why although we are the mother of civilization, it was never used to colonise others, we always strive to be one people on smaller and large scale, that to us is communism and spectacular socialism, that ideology widens our arms to welcome citizens of the world in their various forms as brothers and sisters in macro economics as investors.

The Light Away Difference

Under Rio Tinto, as employees of Rossing Uranium Limited we were part of the greater Rio Tinto and enjoyed sound labour relations characterized by humanity, respect and mutual benefit for employer and employees, compliance with legislations, etc., we co existed, enjoyed industrial stability, peace and harmony.

We always strive and looked forward to a better tomorrow, a notion and an ideology that seemed alien to Chinese government employees assigned to Rossing Uranium Limited as Management under the Chinese watch.

Harassment and Job Security Mirth

Although continuity of employment was under threat as Rio Tinto sought to diversify, the announcement that Chinese Owned Company was the new majority shareholders terrified sending shock waves to employees. Negating employees to demand a pay out from Rio Tinto before CNNC takes over, however Rio Tinto assured employees that CNNC was carefully selected, it is a Chinese company with a high level of ethics and that we should be rest assured and they will be a good employer, a dream we had awaken from.

We can only conclude that if that was image, then it seems that during the selection the claws were retracte because immediately upon arrival we started receiving requests to renegotiate agreements that we have enjoyed over many years under Rio Tinto.

Perpetually demanded the changing of employment conditions to less favorable and the Revocation of the existing procedural (recognition) agreement, leave days, Sick leaves days, recruitment policy and the performance and conduct procedure (disciplinary code) etc,.

As Namibians the least we can get for exploitations of our natural resources is discent employment, no slavery, no victimization, no exploitation, no abuse, no intimidation, no unbearable conditions, etc.

During the diplomatic meetings, we were repeatedly reminded of the role the People Republic of China played during the fight of the war our liberation, independence, against lawless, discrimination, economic slavery, corruption, abuse of power, autocracy, dictatorship, colonization, etc.,

It seems the savior have become the killer, as it seems more of changing of hands, from a hyena to a tiger. There is no difference between that dark dispensation and these deplorable exploitative and draconian iron fist dehumanizing treatment that we were subjected too as Union leaders and for the management of Rossing Uranium Ltd to scoope to such low, cheap and uncalled for tactics just to get rid of us putting the workers through the very oppressing system that our forefathers fought through the struggles.

Your Chinese Nationals at Rossing Uranium Limited profess to be people of peace, it is not so in its real sense but its rather Marshall law, do as the master says and rulling by inflicting fear. That is exactly what Chinese Management Assigned to Rossing Uranium Ltd did to us without a single ethical, emotional or humantarian consideration. We are left to question the real advancement of this Chinese management, can it be that we are dealing with coded machines under instruction to destroy?

It further seems, when we rejected bribe advances from Mr Feng, we became meat. It is a shame that the next uprising in Namibia or greater Africa or the world is an uprising against Chinese colonialism.

The Chinese ambassador to Namibia committed that Rossing will operate for many years, we never knew it will come at the price of slavery.

Your citizens deployed as management orchestrated our dismissal at all cost, they started by threatening us, writing letters of instruction to the union head office to discipline us, threatening to remove our agreements and privileges and finally touching us and our family by fabricating charges on witch hunt tactics and doing everything in their power against all odds to dismiss us.

We the nine dismissed employees have an average of 102 people that directly depended on us month to month, we bought cars, houses, clothing and furniture on credit, some of our kids were attending private schools, being driven every day to school by ourselves or by taxis, today we are not able to provide for our families just because of exercising union rights as represented of employees as per the Labour Act 11 of 2007 and Procedural (Recognition) agreement 14 November 1988 and the Namibian Constitution.

Under Rio Tinto, Rossing was always an employer of choice, however under the Chinese majority ownership, it has become an employer of no choice and un
employment

Mr Xi Ping, communism that you and the good people of China stand for is about community, the people and their welfare. The action of your citizens not only threatens the stability, sovereignty and constitutionalism but also the already destatible name not only of your people but nation.

The hate and destate will continue to rise if you as the chief in command does not take a stand of humanity against the humanitarian crimes that your people have committed against us.

Unless it is your instruction to subdue, conquer, eliminate others and enslave others. If it is not, then we seek your solidarity stance, your intervention to restore our employment and equally pronounce a word to your people at Rossing Uranium Limited and the greater Namibia to refrain from mistreating Namibian employees.

Although we believe that you will act, time is against us as we do not know how long it will take for this letter to get to you, if ever and when will you act. Our families and us are in dare need of survival, we are sowing in the wind hoping seeding for a ground harvest.

Our names have been made dirty and tarnished, getting employment in Namibia is almost impossible, it is the same as expecting a Chicken to grow teeth, therefore re-employment looks like the only option that can happen if you intervene.

Mean while as we eagerly await your imminent intervention, We appeal to the international communities, Unions in Africa, America, Australia, Russia, United Kingdom, South and Noth America, in China and Asia and to all non governmental, etc, to help us to fight this morden colonialism and slavery.

Yours Comradely,

The 9 dismissed Rossing Branch Executive Committee members


致親愛的習主席,我們向所有的中國工人階級問好。


在非洲有一句格言能將我們的距離拉近,我們相信非洲格言"MuntuMuntuMovantu",人之所以為人是因為人。 我們之間的關係並不是兔子與烏龜,獅子或螞蟻。 我們應該互助互信互愛,這就是為什麼雖然非洲是人類誕生的搖籃,我們卻從來不奴役其他人,不論是小到人民或是大到國家我們總是向著共產主義和壯觀的社會主義努力,這種意識形態使我們強大,並歡迎世界公民兄弟姐妹以各種形式作為宏觀經濟的作為投資者。



我們作為雇員,曾在力拓公司下享有良好的勞動關係,非常人性化、僱主和雇員相互尊重和互信互利、在遵守法律規定下,我們是共生的關係,享受公司的穩定、和平與和諧。 我們一直努力朝一個更美好的明天邁進,這樣的概念與意識形態,似乎新上任的中國官員似乎完全不了解。


儘管我們已知力拓集團歡迎各方注資,我們將有可能失去我們的工作,但真正宣布中國獨資公司成為新大股東的公告,依然給員工帶來衝擊。在CNNC接手之前,為了阻止員工們拿錢離職,力拓向員工保證,CNNC是經過精心挑選的,這是一家具有高度道德規範的中國公司,我們應該放心,他們將將會是我們夢寐以求的雇主。



我們只能說如果這是真的,中國公司隱藏的非常好。因為在他們接手後他們馬上露出馬腳,我們立刻被要求重新簽工作合約,更改我們已經享受多年的工作福利。

他們不斷的調降工作福利,並撤銷現有的工作合同、休假日、病假日、招聘政策和績效和紀律守則等。



作為納米比亞人,我們希望以我們的自然資源來交換一份體面的工作,沒有奴役,沒有受害,沒有剝削,沒有虐待,沒有恐嚇,沒有惡劣的工作條件等等。在外交會議上,中國政府不斷提醒我們他們曾幫助我們對抗、獨立、反對不法、歧視、經濟奴役、腐敗、濫用權力、獨裁、獨裁、殖民化等, 看來救世主已經成了殺手,看來我們只是從虎口轉到蛇口之下。我們所遭遇到的不法與剝削與之前並無不同,我們所遭到的打壓甚至猶有過之, 我們依然像我們的祖先一樣為生存而掙扎奮鬥。



你們在公司高層的中國官員自稱希望和平解決,他所做的更像是戒嚴,要我們言聽計從,並通過製造恐懼令行禁止。中國管理層對我們所做的,既不道德、不合情不合禮亦不合法。我們強烈懷疑中國政府給我們帶來的是進步還是毀滅?現在看來,當我們拒絕方先生的賄賂時,我們就成了盤中肉。遺憾的是,納米比亞、非洲或世界的下一次起義是反對中國殖民主義的起義。 當時中國駐納米比亞大使向我們承諾,羅辛鈾公司將運作多年不會驟然倒閉,我們卻不知道這意味著此公司接下來對我們的奴役。



公司的管理層,認為與我們溝通是浪費時間,並想直接開除不聽話的員工。 他們一開始從威脅我們,並寫譴責信給我們的公會,希望工會能管束我們,威脅要取消約定好的工作福利與條件,最後竟捏造不實的指控給我們的家人,並盡其所能解僱我們。



我們這9名被解僱的員工,每人平均支持著102人的生活,他們依賴我們的工作生活,我們貸款購買了汽車、房屋、衣服和傢俱,我們的孩子在私立學校上學,依賴我們接送或搭乘計程車。我們再也無法根據1988年11月14日的納米比亞憲法與2007年《勞動法》第11條協定行使雇員代表的工會權利而為家庭提供基本生活。



在力拓(Rio Tinto)的收購下,羅辛鈾一直是員工中排名第一的大公司,然而在中國多數股權之下的羅辛鈾已成為員工無奈的選擇或著是失業。



習近平同志,你和中國代表的共產主義,是社會保障、人民福祉及其福利。你們公民的行為不僅威脅到國家的穩定、主權和憲政,而且不僅只危害到他們自己的名聲,也危害著中華人民共和國的名聲。



如果您作為指中國主席不根據人道立場反對你們人民對我們犯下的種種不公,仇恨和厭惡將繼續增加。除非這一切的悲劇是源自於您的指示。如果不是,那麼我們尋求你的支援,你們的干預,以恢復我們的工作,並向羅斯鈾有限公司和納米比亞的人民呼籲,不要虐待納米比亞雇員。



雖然我們相信您會採取行動,但時間對我們不利,因為我們不知道這封信要多久才能送到,或著當您確實收到之後,您何時會採取行動。我們的家庭和我們急需生存,我們寄託希望於此封信,像是在孤島的瓶中信,並期待您的救援。在納米比亞我們的名字被弄髒了,被玷污了,幾乎不可能在本地找到工作,這和守株待兔沒有什麼不同,因此您的干預是我們能夠得到工作的唯一機會。



當我們急切地等待著您的介入時,我們同時呼籲國際社會、非洲、美國、澳大利亞、俄羅斯、聯合王國、南美洲和北美、中國和亞洲的聯盟以及所有非政府等,幫助我們打擊這種現代殖民主義和奴隸制。我們一直聲援中國工人階級。我們知道中國是一個人民的國家,是世界工人階級的珍貴標竿。



當資本主義解放資本家在公開市場上奴役和剝削工人階級時,我們知道俄羅斯和中國將是工人階級從資本主義壓迫、壓迫和剝削中解放出來的助力。 我們沒想到的是,非洲工人階級在脫離殘酷的資本主義剝削之後所換來的不是解放,我們現面臨著失去一切,那是我們與我們祖先一個多世紀以來苦苦奮鬥和犧牲所得來。 我們懇求你們進行干預,恢復我們的權利,並協助我們進一步鞏固我們的公會和法律權利。我 們懇求你, 聯絡羅辛鈾管理層。




                   你的同志,9人被免職的羅辛科執行委員會成員

Solidarity Movement for the Unfairly Dismissed Branch Executive Committee of Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Branch

We reach out to you our brothers and sisters,fellow workers and comrades across all corners of the world to stand with us in solidarity against victimization, intimidation, abuse of powers and employers that don’t follow the labor laws and legislation of the country.

The management of Rossing Uranium Ltd. Is one of those employers that did so on the 29th September 2020 when they decided to unlawfully and unprocedurally dismiss the entire branch executive committee of 9 employees in their individual capacities for allegations they claim we apparently acted as a unit and for being part of the branch executive committee making this an attack on the Union. We condemn this cowardly acts because not only have they violated the Namibian Constitution, the Labour Act 11 of 2007, the Procedural (Recognition) Agreement of 14th November 1988 but they have infringed on the very rights our forefathers gave us through the birth of independence and through various great strikes of workers.

The birth of the Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN) was at Rossing Uranium Ltd in the 1970’s and most of the Union leaders elected in office will attest to this, “from the very first day you become a Union Leader at Rossing Uranium Branch, its like the spirits of our forefathers come over you and guide you in everything you do with only one goal and that is to work for the people’’.

Since we took up office in 2017 we made it our aim to stand up for workers right; to stop any violations from the company; to built sound labour relations with the company; to educate and train our members on company policies,agreements and conditions of employment; to expose criminal activities and never compromise anything.

The Rossing Uranium management wrote letters with intensions of renegotiating our conditions of employment to worse off conditions on a number of occasions but we reminded them that those condition did not come on a silver platter and that the Labour Act of Namibia says that an employer cannot change an existing condition to a worse off one and if there is a dispute on a condition of employment the condition that is better off prevails. This frustrated the management, who threatened to remove the Union office, branch chairperson’ full-time office and boardroom on site in an effort to disable and sabotage Union activities of the branch executive committee.

They further started targeting Union leaders ( the regional chairperson, the general secretary and a former national president of the Union) with a price tag on their heads to start plotting against us. It was the general secretary and the regional chairperson of MUN that betrayed us through a letter they wrote to the company saying that the branch did not have authority to appoint a lawyer to act on the branch’ behalf of which the MUN Constitution says otherwise, the sad story is the company has the audacity to ask the national office whether the branch had permission or not, and a Union member of MUN is a juridical person and the Rossing Uranium Ltd is a juridical person and neither persons have authority over the other on how each runs their affairs.

This dismissal have affected not us but our family, extended family and the community we serve emotionally; physically and financially as we were dismissed for standing up for the workers rights and conditions, the employers are doing what they want because they have the financial muscles do what they want and if they get any resistance from anyone they deal with them any way they see fit. We have each worked an average of more than 10 years for Rossing Uranium Ltd and some of us our fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, nieces and cousins have worked for Rossing and that inspired us to go work there.

It is really hurtful to loose your job like that and not knowing what the future holds for you, we are still young and still have many more years to work, the oldest of our comrade is 49 years and the youngest 32 years. We currently facing serious financial and emotional hardships as a result of this dismissals.



We call on every worker and every comrade to stand with us in solidarity and condemn any employer that is in violation of workers rights. We also appeal to comrades, brothers and sisters to assist us with any financial support during this time as we fight Rossing Uranium Ltd through the justice system for their unlawful acts.

The Union will always advocate for fairness, equal treatment and justice for all.

In solidarity the Dismissed BEC Rossing Branch.

For further information & for solidarity statements contact
Johannes Hamutenya NMWU Rossing Branch Chair
jhamutenya(at)live.com
George Martin, NMWU Rossing Branch Secretary
nehoya141082(at)gmail.com
§China Has Bought All the Uranium Mines In Namibia
by Labor Video Project
namibia_miners_china.jpg
China purchased the Rossing mine with promises that it would respect the Namibia Mineworkers Union contract and Namibian labor law. Instead they tried to force healthcare cutbacks in the middle of a pandemic and tried to bribe the union leadership. When that was unsuccessful they illegally fired the nine members of the union executive committee.
§Namibia Miners Protest
by Labor Video Project
sm_namibia_miners_protest_feb_2019.jpeg
Namibia Mine Workers Union members are angry with the attacks on their union and the corruption with their top union leadership.
§Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC Managers
by Labor Video Project
sm_namibia_china_managers.jpg
Managers from the state owned Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC have engaged in a systemic union busting attack violating the union contract and the Namibian labor laws. There is growing anger in Nambia against these tactics by the Chinese companies.
§Namibia Mine Workers Union Members
by Labor Video Project
sm_namibia_miners_union_rossing_branch_fired_members.jpg
The entire leadership of the Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing branch leadership was terminated by the state owned Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC. They continue their union busting by firing a new elected chair without due process. These anti-labor tactics are being challenged by the union leadership's letter to Chinese president Xi-Jinping
§The Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC Management
by Labor Video Project
sm_namibiia_chinese_our-approach-01.jpg
The Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC management according to the Namibian miners have a policy of violating labor and worker rights and want to destroy the existence of Namibian unionism.
§Namibia Rossing Mine Processing Facility
by Labor Video Project
namibia_rossing_uranium_mine.jpeg
The Namibia Rossing mine processing plant is highly toxic and most miners only live until their 60's yet the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC tried to cut their healthcare benefits.
namibia_johannes_hamutenya_r__ssing_branch_chairperson__.jpg
Johannes Hamutenya, Chair of the Namibia Mine Workers Union Rossing Branch has taken strong stance to defend the union members and membership from these assaults by the CNNC.
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