{{A recently dismissed Secretary General of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Evilastus Kaaronda,told hundreds of workers, “I want to see a strike that will cripple Government services.”}}
“It is time that somebody suffers. Government must suffer…”
Kaaronda, whom the federation fired last week, said he was speaking as a concerned citizen to the workers.
When Kaaronda arrived at the stadium, the workers who included teachers, nurses, police officer and other public service employees cheered and applauded him.
Workers braved the rain to listen to Kaaronda who urged them make their group as big as possible to join the illegal strike of the teachers.
According to him, Government wants to settle a score with the teachers and therefore more public service employees must join the strike in solidarity.
“What you are busy with could change the course of history. This is what Government never wanted to see,” Kaaronda said, to the ululation of his audience.
“If Government is interested in numbers, we will give them those numbers.”
The workers will, as a united front, march to the Office of the Prime Minister this morning to present their demands.
Kaaronda stressed the importance of workers being united and said that it is only through unity that they will achieve their goal.
“If Government finds out that we are not united, they will hunt down each and every teacher and they will make life unbearable,” he warned.
The sacked trade unionist further said that a court order has already been given to teachers calling the strike illegal. However, he wanted to know from teachers how far they were willing to take the strike.
“We must reach a consensus. If they arrest you, what will happen? What if they are prepared to give you 10% increment?”
The workers shouted that they will only settle for a 40% increase.
“If justice is what we seek,” Kaaronda remarked, “what are we prepared to do?”
He told the workers that it is time to rise against a system that brought workers to a point where they earn a salary, but are unable to afford food for their children. “We do not go to work to starve.”
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