Regulations Relating to Fishers, 2025 (G.N. 308 of 2025).

These Regulations, comprising 21 sections, govern the basic conditions of employment relating to health, safety, and welfare of employees and apply to fishers, employers of fishers, and fishing vessel owners engaged in commercial fishing operations. They are intended to establish a minimum legal standard ensuring that fishers enjoy employment rights, safety protections, and welfare conditions that are at least equivalent to those provided under broader labour legislation. The Regulations provide for the following labour protections (i) Employment contracts, requiring that contracts be in clear and understandable language (for both permanent and temporary employment) and that proper records be maintained; (ii) Pay and benefits, setting out rules on wages, permissible deductions, allowances, bonuses, commissions, and access to pension and medical schemes; (iii) Working time, establishing limits on shifts and overtime, as well as guaranteed daily and weekly rest periods; (iv) Leave, covering annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, compassionate leave, off-season leave, and accrued shore leave; (v) Living conditions, imposing duties on employers to provide adequate food, water, and accommodation on board vessels; (vi) Health and safety, requiring mandatory protective equipment, safe working conditions, and replacement of damaged gear where applicable; (vii) Illness, injury, and death, providing for continued remuneration and full medical care, including repatriation and burial support; (viii) Repatriation and training, ensuring free repatriation to Namibia in specified circumstances and compulsory basic safety training; and (ix) Freedom of association, safeguarding the right to join trade unions and ensuring access for union representatives.