‘Quit media union to get promoted’

Ester Hakaala

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) have accused The Namibian and Free Press of Namibia management of union-busting and interfering with workers’ rights.

In a letter addressed to CEO Wolfram Jauss, the organisations voiced concerns about the deterioration of labour relations at the company and its alleged impact on freedom of association and trade union rights.

At the centre of the brouhaha is an employee of the The Namibian, Wilma Hoabes, an elected member of the Namibia Media Professionals Union (Nampu) executive committee and national treasurer. The IFJ and FAJ allege that Hoabes was asked to quit and step down from her elected position in exchange for a promotion, increased remuneration and other perks. The organisations said those commitments had not materialised.

They further referred to an email from
//Hoabes dated 7 September 2026 in which
she allegedly stated that her decision to leave Nampu was based on commitments and assurances made by Jauss concerning a review of her position and salary.

The IFJ and FAJ described the alleged conduct as union-busting, saying an employer should not influence whether an employee belongs to a union or holds an elected union position. “For the IFJ and FAJ, this crosses a clear line,” the organisations said.

They called on management to immediately stop any interference with workers’ membership, participation or elected responsibilities in Nampu.

“Seeking to induce an elected trade union office-bearer to leave her union and relinquish her elected position through promises connected to her employment and remuneration amounts to union-busting conduct. It is an unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of Nampu and an attack on the right of workers to organise freely and independently of their employer,” the statement reads.

The institutions alleged that the situation at The Namibian is deteriorating further.

Three workers have already resigned within a month amid serious concerns that employees are being pushed towards resignation rather than the company following proper retrenchment procedures.

Additionally, the company has allegedly informally informed staff members that they no longer qualify for study leave.

“Workers should not be placed in circumstances where resignation becomes the only practical way out, nor should the departure of workers be allowed to weaken their collective voice and Nampu’s ability to represent them,” the statement further reads.

The organisations call on the management of The Namibian and the Free Press of Namibia to immediately cease all union-busting conduct and any interference with workers’ membership, participation or elected responsibilities in Nampu.

They call on management to guarantee that no Nampu member, representative or elected office-bearer faces pressure, inducement, victimisation, retaliation or disadvantage because of their trade union membership or activities. They further call on management to respect Nampu’s right to organise, represent, negotiate for and communicate freely with its members without employer interference.

The organisations also call on management to engage Nampu immediately and in good faith towards concluding a recognition agreement. Finally, they call on management to address the outstanding labour and employment concerns through genuine collective engagement with Nampu.

The allegations come after Nampu previously called for Jauss’ resignation over concerns about staff surveillance and working conditions. The union had accused Jauss of intimidating workers following an email sent to staff on 2 September, in which he warned of increased monitoring and stricter adherence to work hours and productivity targets.

Jauss previously told New Era that he stood by the central message of the email regarding productivity, performance and workplace accountability. He, however, acknowledged that some wording could have been better phrased. He also denied that he intended to monitor employees’ personal devices, saying his reference to monitoring from his cellphone relates to the company’s standard premises security cameras.

Jauss said The Namibian is operating under significant financial pressures, and that the communication was driven by concerns about productivity. Contacted for comment on the latest allegations from IFJ and FAJ, The Namibian’s chief operating officer Mark Kissler said the company had no additional comment beyond the response previously provided by Jauss. – ehakaala@nepc.com.na

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