122 Ohlthaver & List staff to be retrenched

ONE hundred and twenty-two people will lose their jobs at Midgard Lodge and Asgard-Schenckswerder Farm as part of the massive restructuring exercise being undertaken by the Ohlthaver & List Group of Companies (O&L) to shed loss-making outfits.

The interim operational plan for Midgard Lodge will see 104 employees axed while 18 members of staff will be laid off at Asgard-Schenckwerder when cattle farming comes to an end there at the end of October. Namibia’s top group of companies, O&L, in July announced it would be streamlining activities to turn itself into a profitable entity by investing N$832 million over three years in a massive restructuring drive.O&L Public Relations Manager Patrick Hashingola said an interim operational plan for Midgard Lodge would by year-end see reduction of physical infrastructure, selling of redundant assets, closure of a hostel, closure of Sonop settlement and relocation of employees at the loss-making entity.Hashingola said all affected employees and unions representing them were being personally consulted on their retrenchments through a process that started in June.”However, negotiations are said to be ongoing in view of working out retrenchment packages, consisting of relocation allowances and severance packages,” said Hashingola, adding that options to deploy affected staff to other O&L subsidiaries had not proved viable.O&L said in July that it had identified three of its beef farms to be sold off together with Rieck Joinery and Lumber City, while Rietfontein Dairy outside Windhoek closed last week.The Namibia Dairies depot in Mariental has already been closed, and Hansa Breweries in Swakopmund is to cease operations next month.The group, which consists of a wide portfolio which includes outfits in beverages, retail, food, property, leisure, information technology and services, has set a target to achieve N$100 million in earnings by 2007.Namibia’s top group of companies, O&L, in July announced it would be streamlining activities to turn itself into a profitable entity by investing N$832 million over three years in a massive restructuring drive.O&L Public Relations Manager Patrick Hashingola said an interim operational plan for Midgard Lodge would by year-end see reduction of physical infrastructure, selling of redundant assets, closure of a hostel, closure of Sonop settlement and relocation of employees at the loss-making entity.Hashingola said all affected employees and unions representing them were being personally consulted on their retrenchments through a process that started in June.”However, negotiations are said to be ongoing in view of working out retrenchment packages, consisting of relocation allowances and severance packages,” said Hashingola, adding that options to deploy affected staff to other O&L subsidiaries had not proved viable.O&L said in July that it had identified three of its beef farms to be sold off together with Rieck Joinery and Lumber City, while Rietfontein Dairy outside Windhoek closed last week.The Namibia Dairies depot in Mariental has already been closed, and Hansa Breweries in Swakopmund is to cease operations next month.The group, which consists of a wide portfolio which includes outfits in beverages, retail, food, property, leisure, information technology and services, has set a target to achieve N$100 million in earnings by 2007.