Accusations fly thick and fast between NUNW, Pupkewitz

THE umbrella National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) has accused the Pupkewitz Group of falling short on employment equity requirements at managerial level.

They claim that only one previously disadvantaged person was among 14 white senior managers in 2003 and none by the end of last year. The NUNW is also demanding that the company share its “centre of wealth” with black Namibians.Last week, the union threatened industrial action and a consumer boycott after wage negotiations in the Pupkewitz Motor Division broke down.”Mr Harold Pupkewitz cannot tell us that it takes 16 years or longer to train a black Namibian for a senior management post in his company, we don’t buy that explanation,” NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda charged at a media briefing in Windhoek yesterday.Citing figures from the Employment Equity Commission (EEC), Kaaronda alleged that only two black Namibians were in middle management compared to 39 whites.”The EEC sent a letter to the Pupkewitz Group last year bemoaning the fact that the company did not comply with the stipulations of the Commission,” Kaaronda said.Another issue the NUNW is unhappy with is that few women are in top positions in the company.”The company must seriously restructure to comply with Namibian laws,” Kaaronda said.The Pupkewitz Group has denied the accusations.”We comply with the EEC,” Mike Hill, the company’s human resources manager, told The Namibian.The group employs about 900 people.”Only about 100 of them are in a bargaining unit of labour unions,” Hill added.According to him, the company had invited NUNW President Alfeus Muhehua for a meeting on Tuesday, but said the unionist had surprised management when he arrived with a large NUNW delegation, including the shop stewards of the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers’ Union (Manwu).”We made it clear that we did not want to discuss wages but [were scheduled to] have a talk with Mr Muhehua,” Hill said.”Consequently the meeting was called off.”Kaaronda claimed, however, that the NUNW delegation had “walked out” on Pupkewitz.In a statement of commitment last week, the Pupkewitz Group said it had more than doubled its number of employees since Independence through its policy of not paying dividends and reinvesting all profits in growing the business.”Our recent acquisition of the Honda franchise is a case in point.All employees are encouraged to advance their careers through on-the-job and external training, we give education grants covering 100 per cent of the costs and have a policy of internal recruitment,” the statement says.Pupkewitz said that so far there had been no previously disadvantaged Dealer Principal (motor division general manager, the highest post) in any Namibian company, regardless of whether the company was owned by black or white Namibians.”We have tried to recruit senior previously disadvantaged managers, but the payment demanded put such candidates beyond our means,” the statement said.It also noted that for several years the Pupkewitz Group had run a department for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to identify, evaluate, guide, advise, encourage and support entrepreneurs with the potential to succeed.The department’s functions include facilitating the provision of business advice and counselling services, access to equipment, vehicles, stock and raw material.It added that the Group also bought SME products and services either for resale or internal use in the Pupkewitz Group businesses.Further, the Pupkewitz Foundation annually donated to social organisations like the St Johns Ambulance and the Red Cross Society and old age homes.The Association for the Handicapped (Ehafo), SOS Villages and various orphanages are also beneficiaries of the Foundation.The NUNW is also demanding that the company share its “centre of wealth” with black Namibians.Last week, the union threatened industrial action and a consumer boycott after wage negotiations in the Pupkewitz Motor Division broke down.”Mr Harold Pupkewitz cannot tell us that it takes 16 years or longer to train a black Namibian for a senior management post in his company, we don’t buy that explanation,” NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda charged at a media briefing in Windhoek yesterday.Citing figures from the Employment Equity Commission (EEC), Kaaronda alleged that only two black Namibians were in middle management compared to 39 whites.”The EEC sent a letter to the Pupkewitz Group last year bemoaning the fact that the company did not comply with the stipulations of the Commission,” Kaaronda said.Another issue the NUNW is unhappy with is that few women are in top positions in the company.”The company must seriously restructure to comply with Namibian laws,” Kaaronda said.The Pupkewitz Group has denied the accusations.”We comply with the EEC,” Mike Hill, the company’s human resources manager, told The Namibian.The group employs about 900 people.”Only about 100 of them are in a bargaining unit of labour unions,” Hill added.According to him, the company had invited NUNW President Alfeus Muhehua for a meeting on Tuesday, but said the unionist had surprised management when he arrived with a large NUNW delegation, including the shop stewards of the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers’ Union (Manwu).”We made it clear that we did not want to discuss wages but [were scheduled to] have a talk with Mr Muhehua,” Hill said.”Consequently the meeting was called off.”Kaaronda claimed, however, that the NUNW delegation had “walked out” on Pupkewitz.In a statement of commitment last week, the Pupkewitz Group said it had more than doubled its number of employees since Independence through its policy of not paying dividends and reinvesting all profits in growing the business. “Our recent acquisition of the Honda franchise is a case in point.All employees are encouraged to advance their careers through on-the-job and external training, we give education grants covering 100 per cent of the costs and have a policy of internal recruitment,” the statement says.Pupkewitz said that so far there had been no previously disadvantaged Dealer Principal (motor division general manager, the highest post) in any Namibian company, regardless of whether the company was owned by black or white Namibians.”We have tried to recruit senior previously disadvantaged managers, but the payment demanded put such candidates beyond our means,” the statement said.It also noted that for several years the Pupkewitz Group had run a department for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to identify, evaluate, guide, advise, encourage and support entrepreneurs with the potential to succeed.The department’s functions include facilitating the provision of business advice and counselling services, access to equipment, vehicles, stock and raw material.It added that the Group also bought SME products and services either for resale or internal use in the Pupkewitz Group businesses.Further, the Pupkewitz Foundation annually donated to social organisations like the St Johns Ambulance and the Red Cross Society and old age homes.The Association for the Handicapped (Ehafo), SOS Villages and various orphanages are also beneficiaries of the Foundation.