93 Schlachterei layoffs go ahead

THE bitter protest of a labour union against the restructuring exercise at a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List Group affecting 93 workers has not stopped the process, despite a meeting held yesterday between the two parties.

“The process is going well since it started on Wednesday,” the acting Managing Director of Windhoek Schlachterei, Andy Roberts, said yesterday. “The meeting with the Namibia Food and Allied Union (Nafau) was merely informative and lasted 45 minutes,” he told The Namibian.The O&L Group announced to shocked workers at the butchery on Monday that it would be restructured, saying it had only made losses.About 63 of the 93 workers can be accommodated in the new structure, but they must all re-apply.O&L is trying to find jobs for the remaining 33 employees at its other subsidiaries.Nafau president Abel Kazondunge, who is one of the 93 workers, said the union would analyse the restructuring plan and only give a comment after that.”We will make our position on this issue public after careful scrutiny,” Kazondunge told The Namibian.”The meeting with the Namibia Food and Allied Union (Nafau) was merely informative and lasted 45 minutes,” he told The Namibian.The O&L Group announced to shocked workers at the butchery on Monday that it would be restructured, saying it had only made losses.About 63 of the 93 workers can be accommodated in the new structure, but they must all re-apply.O&L is trying to find jobs for the remaining 33 employees at its other subsidiaries.Nafau president Abel Kazondunge, who is one of the 93 workers, said the union would analyse the restructuring plan and only give a comment after that.”We will make our position on this issue public after careful scrutiny,” Kazondunge told The Namibian.