The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) is one of three
national trade union center
A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...
s in
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
. It was established in 1970 and is affiliated with
SWAPO, Namibia's ruling political party.
History
NUNW was originally established as a general workers union in April 1970 through a resolution of the 1969/70
South West Africa People's Organisation
The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...
(SWAPO) party congress in Tanzania.
From that time, NUNW became the trade union wing of SWAPO.
In 1978, the NUNW affiliated to the
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) is an international federation of trade unions established in 1945. Founded in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the organization built on the pre-war legacy of the International Federation o ...
(WTFU). The headquarters in exile of the NUNW were set up in Luanda, Angola in 1979.
From 1986, various industrial unions were established inside Namibia under the umbrella of the NUNW and in 1989, a consolidation congress took place that merged the exiled and internal wings of the NUNW into a unified federation.
NUNW was thus, as a trade union center, formally established in 1989. In 1991, NUNW had seven affiliated unions with a total membership of over 60,000.
[
In October 2009 the NUNW affiliated to the ]International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation.
History
The federation w ...
(ITUC), thus effectively withdrawing from the WFTU. In January 2014, NUNW affirmed its allegiance to SWAPO, citing both a shared experience during colonialism and SWAPO's political positions.
Affiliates
The NUNW has nine affiliated member unions with the following estimated membership in 2017.
Notable members
* Tjekero Tweya, MP, NUNW president 1991–1993
* Bernhardt Esau
Bernhardt Martin Esau, also ''Bernhard'' or ''Bernard'' (born 9 December 1957), is a Namibian politician. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Esau has been a member of the National Assembly since being nominated by ...
, Secretary General of NUNW in 1991
* Evilastus Kaaronda, former General Secretary
* Hafeni Ludwigh Ndemula
* Pohamba Shifeta
Pohamba Penomwenyo Shifeta (born 27 March 1968) is a Namibian politician. He is Namibia's Minister of Environment and Tourism since his appointment by president Hage Geingob in March 2015.
Early life and education
Shifeta was born at Ongenga in ...
* Ismael Kasuto, president from 1 May 2015
* Risto Kapenda, current president
See also
* Namibia National Labour Organisation (NANLO)
* Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA)
References
Trade unions in Namibia
International Trade Union Confederation
1971 establishments in South West Africa
Trade unions established in 1971
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