NEWS - NAMIBIA
| 2013-08-05Suspended Keetmanshoop CEO rejects settlement offer
Luqman Cloete
THE Keetmanshoop Town Council’s suspended chief executive officer, Paul Vleermuis, last week rejected a settlement offer by council to close his labour case.
The parties are embroiled in a labour dispute in which Vleermuis is claiming that he was unfairly suspended in March this year for alleged insubordination.
Vleermuis is demanding N$500 000 in damages for unfair dismissal and has indicated that he wants his job back.
Although the council’s human resources manager Josef Rooi yesterday confirmed the offer to Vleermuis, he could not give full details.
The Namibian, however, understands that Vleermuis was offered an exit package based on the remaining three months of his contract and that he rejected the offer saying the conditions were not clear.
“Yes, I can confirm that council offered Vleermuis a payout inclusive of all his benefits for the remainder of his employment contract but one without fringe benefits,” Rooi said.
He also confirmed that Vleermuis had rejected the offer.
“The arbitrary hearing is scheduled for continuation on 12 September and the disciplinary hearing is set for 13-15 September,” Rooi added.
Vleermuis faces 20 charges among them gross negligence, fraud, insolence, abuse of authority, disobeying work- related orders, and failure to perform his duties diligently.
Recently, the council informed Vleermuis that it would not renew his five-year employment contract when it expires in October this year.
luqman@namibian.com.na
The parties are embroiled in a labour dispute in which Vleermuis is claiming that he was unfairly suspended in March this year for alleged insubordination.
Vleermuis is demanding N$500 000 in damages for unfair dismissal and has indicated that he wants his job back.
Although the council’s human resources manager Josef Rooi yesterday confirmed the offer to Vleermuis, he could not give full details.
The Namibian, however, understands that Vleermuis was offered an exit package based on the remaining three months of his contract and that he rejected the offer saying the conditions were not clear.
“Yes, I can confirm that council offered Vleermuis a payout inclusive of all his benefits for the remainder of his employment contract but one without fringe benefits,” Rooi said.
He also confirmed that Vleermuis had rejected the offer.
“The arbitrary hearing is scheduled for continuation on 12 September and the disciplinary hearing is set for 13-15 September,” Rooi added.
Vleermuis faces 20 charges among them gross negligence, fraud, insolence, abuse of authority, disobeying work- related orders, and failure to perform his duties diligently.
Recently, the council informed Vleermuis that it would not renew his five-year employment contract when it expires in October this year.
luqman@namibian.com.na
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