| Electricity upgrades will cause outages |
| 05 Nov 2008 |
| Walvis Bay's Erongo Regional Electricity Distributor (Erongo Red) announced on 5 November 2008 that it will carry out upgrades on its facilities that will affect power services in some areas of the city on 5-6 November. While power will only be out for a short duration on Hage Geingob, Theo Ben Gurirab and Twelve roads on 5 November, more extensive outages are scheduled for the next day. On 6 November, Fifth and Sixth streets, West and Seventh roads and Sam Nujoma Avenue -- which is Walvis Bay's busiest street -- will be without power for nine hours. Most businesses along Sam Nujoma Avenue will also close for the duration of the power outage. Erongo Red expects power to be fully restored to these areas by 1700 local time on 6 November |
| "Oil War" may be re-launched |
| 02 Oct 2008 |
| Leaders of the Niger Delta Vigilante Group (NDVG) and the Niger Delta Patriotic Force (NDPF) -- two militant groups operating in the Niger Delta -- stated on 2 October 2008 that they may relaunch an "oil war" in the region. The threat comes after the government Joint Task Force (JTF) recently made statements suggesting that it has placed its troops on "high alert" and has arrested more than 400 militants since a ceasefire was declared on 21 September. The militant groups claim that the JTF actions prove that it does not respect the ceasefire and that the militants may have no choice but to respond by relaunching the oil war in the near future. Nigeria's main militant group -- the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) -- and its allies undertook a seven-day "oil war" against expatriate personnel and facilities in the region in mid-September 2008. During the campaign, militants successfully attacked six oil facilities, forcing Royal Dutch Shell to declare "force majeure."
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| Namibia Airports Company (NAC) workers call off strike |
| 02 Oct 2008 |
| Namibia Airports Company (NAC) workers announced on 2 October 2008 that they have called off a strike, which they had threatened to undertake if the NAC administration did not address their demands. The Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) -- the union representing the workers -- and the NAC administration had been negotiating since the workers announced the strike on 29 September, and apparently came to an agreement to prevent the action, which would have begun on 3 October. The workers had threatened to "close all airports" if their demands for back pay and increased salary were not met. This would have been the second recent Namibian transportation sector strike; in September 2008, TransNamib -- Namibia's rail company -- embarked on a six-day strike, which cost the country millions of dollars in economic losses.
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| Namibia Airport Company (NAC) workers renewed a threat to strike |
| 30 Sep 2008 |
| On 30 September 2008 Namibia Airport Company (NAC) workers renewed a threat to strike if their demands for a pay increase are not met by 2 October. Workers at Hosea Kutako International Airport (FYWH/WDH), Windhoek Eros Airport (FYWE/ERS) and Walvis Bay Airport (FYWB/WVB), along with workers from five other regional airports, staged marches in various cities around Namibia, demanding back pay from June 2003, a 20-percent increase in the back pay and an immediate salary increase for the rest of 2008 and 2009. The workers stated that they will continue to hold the demonstrations on their lunch hour and will "block roads and close the airports" on 3 October if the NAC does not meet their demands. Negotiations are currently ongoing to resolve the issue before 2 October. Meanwhile, Air Namibia has assured its passengers that an NAC strike will not affect its operations; NAC stated that it has also developed contingency plans to continue services at the airports in the event of a strike.
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| Railway strike has resulted in nationwide fuel shortages |
| 09 Sep 2008 |
| The ongoing TransNamib railway strike, which began on 4 September 2008, has resulted in nationwide fuel and coal shortages, according to reports released on 9 September. Supplies are apparently currently being held up in Walvis Bay, where approximately 200 employees have stopped working; Walvis Bay is one of Namibia's primary transit points for petrol, jet fuel, coal and sulphuric acid. Some companies have begun using trucks to transport fuel to Namibia's interior, but shortages have been reported throughout the country. Sources at Hosea Kutako International Airport (FYWH/WDH) in Windhoek have stated that their storage tanks are not full but insist that the airport is not currently suffering from a shortage of jet fuel; this may change, however, as the strike continues. TransNamib workers are striking to force the reinstatement of the company's CEO and to demand the removal of the current board of directors. Negotiations to resolve the strike are ongoing, but it is not clear when the labor action will end.
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| Workers on the TransNamib railway strike |
| 05 Sep 2008 |
| Workers on the TransNamib railway began a strike on 4 September 2008, crippling transport services nationwide. The National Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Natau) and the umbrella National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) undertook the strike to demand the removal of the current board of directors and for the reinstatement of the company's suspended CEO, who was put on "special leave" while authorities investigate charges of corruption. Authorities estimate that approximately 1,900 of TransNamib's 2,025 workers have joined the strike. Union representatives are scheduled to meet with officials from the Namibian Ministry of Works and Transport on 5 September to begin negotiations. The TransNamib railway is primarily responsible for cargo transport, but also has passenger services across Namibia. |
