WINDHOEK- The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation currently has 296 unfilled positions, this is included in the ministry’s quarterly (October-December 2018) report availed to the media yesterday.

In the 38-page report, the ministry revealed it had 649 vacant positions of which 353 positions are filled while 296 were still vacant. The filled positions include 58 percent filled by females while males filled the remaining 42 percent.  

Furthermore, the ministry said during the said period, only one person was appointed while four staff members resigned from the ministry. The reasons of resignation according to the ministry were due to non-promotion/ transfer, non-transfer in ranks or to other ministries.

Additionally, the ministry said during the same period two positions were awaiting for Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) recommendations before appointments are effected while 14 positions at the ministry were pending for interviews. 
The ministry says it further had five positions advertised through the Namibia Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS). Moreover, the report said the committee on Dispute Prevention and Resolution considered 17 applications for the appointment of conciliators/arbitrators. 

After reviewing the applications, the Committee recommended seven applicants for the appointment of conciliators/arbitrators.

The committee further recommended the appointment of 10 others as conciliators only. 
According to the report, the committee was of the opinion that the applicants possess the required appointment requirements for the appointment of conciliators only.

The applications of Mutinta Parker and Michael Kayala were recommended for the appointment of conciliators/arbitrators, subject to the submission of the certified copies of the Namibia Qualification Authority (NQA) Evaluation Certificates for the Master in Industrial and Employment Relations (Kayala) and Bachelor of Laws (Parker) to the Secretariat Office. 
The council will be meeting during the next quarter to decide on these applications.