TUCNA urges govt to fix labour rights gaps

Patience Makwele The Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) has called for urgent reforms to labour legislation after Namibia was classified as a regular violator of workers’ rights in the 2026 International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index. The report placed Namibia in the ITUC’s “orange” category, highlighting concerns over restrictions affecting trade union registration, collective bargaining and the right to strike. TUCNA secretary general Mahongora Kavihuha said the rating should serve as a warning that workers’ rights guaranteed by law are not always fully realised in practice.

“We need to pull up our socks and realise that some of the restrictions contained in our laws can effectively amount to a denial of workers’ rights,” Kavihuha said during an interview with NBC Current Affairs. According to Kavihuha, Namibia’s labour framework provides strong protections on paper, while workers often continue to face procedural and administrative barriers when attempting to exercise those rights.