WINDHOEK: Students at the Polytechnic of Namibia (PoN) said they are negatively affected by the strike that is currently ongoing at PoN, by its workers and therefore called on that management to resolve the matter urgently.

Workers of that tertiary institution went on strike yesterday, Monday, 24 September 2012, after failed negotiations on salary increament between their union, the Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU) and its (PoN) management.

Speaking to the media at a peaceful demonstration by the students in support of the striking staff members in the capital on Tuesday, the Students Representative Council (SRC) for Information and Publicity, Charlie Matengu said most services at that institution are crippled and students are not accessing those services due to the strike.

He explained that the only service available to the students are lectures, stressing that the library has been closed since yesterday and students are expected to do research for their assignments and study for their tests and there is no place for them to borrow books and study.

“The question is how can we expect these poor students to qualify for exams, while our students are students are studying under the trees,” the disappointed SRC member noted.

According to Matengu, the October/November examination timetables are already out, however the examination center is closed because they are on strike.

The striking workers, he added are suppose to prepare for the end-of-year examinations scheduled to commence on 29 October 2012 saying: “ We are scared about whether we are going to seat for our examinations on time and that if we will write all or face a situation where we are told that can only sit for these examinations next year.”

The SRC for Information and Publicity further expressed concern that the administration department is closed and students are unable to print their academic records, claim refunds and do payments on campus.

He said the students also fear that the October graduation ceremony might not take place at all since the workers responsible for that are on strike.

Another concern raised by Matengu is that the due date for the 2013 admission application forms is on the 28th September 2012, but the administration department is closed and the grade 12 learners cannot hand in their forms.

Other services that has been closed due to the strike include the transport and the kitchen.

He stressed that the this situation has negatively affected the student population at PoN and it will continue affecting them (students) badly for as long as the strike continues.

He therefore called for a speedy resolution of the current disputes because the academic lives of the students are at stake.

Over 300 employees of the Polytechnic of Namibia (PoN) on Monday commenced a peaceful strike, forced by salary disputes.

The workers are demanding a 10 per cent salary increase and 30 per cent housing allowance.

WINDHOEK; Polytechnic of Namibia (PoN) students have called on the institution’s management to resolve the salary dispute with its workers, saying the ongoing strike is affecting them negatively.

The students staged a peaceful demonstration in support of the striking staff members in the capital on Tuesday.

Over 300 workers of the tertiary institution went on strike on Monday this week, after failed negotiations on salary increments between their union, the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (NAPWU), and the PoN management.

The workers are demanding a 10 per cent salary increase and a 30 per cent increase on their housing allowances.

Most services at the institution have been crippled due to the strike.

The library has been closed since Monday this week, and exams are due to commence on 29 October 2012.

Other services suspended due to the strike are transport and the hostel kitchen.

Charlie Matengu, a member of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) for Information and Publicity, explained to Nampa that the only service available to the students is lectures.

“The question is how can we expect these poor students to qualify for exams while they are studying under the trees,” the disappointed SRC member noted.

He said the October/November examination timetables are already out, but the examination center is closed, adding that the administration department is also closed, and students are unable to print their academic records, claim refunds and do payments on campus.

Matengu said the students also fear that the October graduation ceremony might not take place at all since the workers responsible for that are on strike.

Another concern raised by Matengu is that the due date for the 2013 admission applications is on 28 September 2012, and prospective students can not hand in their forms because the administration department is closed.

He stressed that this situation has negatively affected the student population at PoN, and it will continue affecting them badly for as long as the strike continues.

Matengu, therefore, called for a speedy resolution to the current dispute, because the academic lives of the students are at stake.