24 workers at Aranos meat plant fired

AN abattoir in Aranos has fired 24 workers, allegedly because management could not work with them.

The Natural Namibian Meat producer employs about 100 workers and the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) represents a large group of them. “Nafau received a letter from the lawyer representing the Aranos meat plant at the beginning of this month informing us about the dismissal of the workers,” Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias told reporters yesterday.”The lawyer further told us that Nafau was not the bargaining unit at the Aranos meat plant, since we allegedly now represent less than 50 per cent of the workforce.”Sackarias said it was an unfair dismissal.”A certain Mr Albie Smith is accused by the employees of being the main culprit behind the termination of services,” Sackarias said, adding that it was done “out of the blue” and without any valid reason.”Such employers must be called to order due to their unlawful and unfair labour practice as they are the source of confrontations and anarchy in the labour market,” Sackarias criticised.In a letter to Nafau, workers of the Aranos meat plant complained that they had to slaughter double the number of sheep per day than the original quota and that they could not go home when the slaughter was completed but had to stay at work until 17h00.In the same letter, Smith was accused of swearing at the workers.Smith was not available for comment and the administration officer referred all queries to Bennie Venter, a Gobabis lawyer.Venter told The Namibian that negotiations were under way and he could not disclose details about the dismissal of the 24 labourers.”This would be premature.All I can say is that everything was done in accordance with the Labour Act,” he said.”Nafau received a letter from the lawyer representing the Aranos meat plant at the beginning of this month informing us about the dismissal of the workers,” Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias told reporters yesterday.”The lawyer further told us that Nafau was not the bargaining unit at the Aranos meat plant, since we allegedly now represent less than 50 per cent of the workforce.”Sackarias said it was an unfair dismissal.”A certain Mr Albie Smith is accused by the employees of being the main culprit behind the termination of services,” Sackarias said, adding that it was done “out of the blue” and without any valid reason.”Such employers must be called to order due to their unlawful and unfair labour practice as they are the source of confrontations and anarchy in the labour market,” Sackarias criticised.In a letter to Nafau, workers of the Aranos meat plant complained that they had to slaughter double the number of sheep per day than the original quota and that they could not go home when the slaughter was completed but had to stay at work until 17h00.In the same letter, Smith was accused of swearing at the workers.Smith was not available for comment and the administration officer referred all queries to Bennie Venter, a Gobabis lawyer.Venter told The Namibian that negotiations were under way and he could not disclose details about the dismissal of the 24 labourers.”This would be premature.All I can say is that everything was done in accordance with the Labour Act,” he said.