Government, Nantu deadlock despite two-hour-long meeting at State House

PRresident Hage Geingob and the teachers union leadership yesterday failed to break the impasse over the 8% salary increase demand, despite a two-hour-long meeting at State House.

Geingob called the meeting to dissuade the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) leaders from embarking on an indefinite nationwide strike set for tomorrow. However, when he officially welcomed the Nantu leadership, Geingob said it was not a renegotiation of the salary dispute or a session to dictate to the teachers not to go on strike, but a discussion on the economic impact of the intended industrial action and the country's financial status. Based on that, Geingob said, government can only afford a 5% increase for now, “but it is not final”.