Baby Company staff claim ill-treatment

•SAKEUS IIKELAWORKERS of the Baby Company Superstore at Windhoek claim to be working in unsafe conditions and to be earning low salaries. The workers say some company bosses also regularly threaten and intimidate them.

A former driver at the company, Chals Ndara, who worked there for only three months, told this week that the company did not comply with safety regulations.

Ndara claimed that during the time he worked for the company, he was forced to transport fellow employees in a goods vehicle which had no windows, seats or ventilation.

“They transport people in a goods vehicle, and lock them inside for two kilometres to the warehouse on Maxwell Street,” he stated.

Ndara added that managers locked employees into the warehouse, which had no toilet, for about two to three hours on a given day.

Documents seen by indicate that the company was confirming Ndara’s claim of usually transporting employees in a goods vehicle.

“You were instructed by your manager, Sanet Botha, during the Tuesday meeting that the staff that works in the Maxwell Street warehouse will be transported with the truck as usual in the past [sic], which you refused to do as driver,” reads the document.

Ndara said at some point, he refused to transport people in the goods vehicle because “it is against the Namibian traffic law”.

He was then called in for a disciplinary hearing for speaking out against unfair conduct at the company, which led to the termination of his employment with the company.

A source at Baby Company, who requested anonymity, confirmed Ndara’s allegations, and complained about low wages, especially amongst black employees.

“We are threatened not to join unions, and we are told that if we do, our benefits, such as borrowing money from the company, would be taken away,” the source said.

The source further stated that employees once tried to join a union, and were subsequently called in one by one by the manager, and questioned about why they wanted to join a union.

“We experience unfair labour practices every day. There are employees working at the company for more than four years now, but they have never received any salary increment,” said the source.

When contacted for comment, store mana­ger Botha rubbished the allegations, and said employee relations were good.

“Why would we as a company prevent our employees from joining a union? It’s a lie. Whoever told you is lying,” she said.

The Namibian understands that the company’s employees have decided to join the Namibia Wholesale and Retail Workers Union (NWRWU), despite threats from management.

The union confirmed to this week that it has registered Baby Company workers, and that preparations were underway to sign a recognition agreement with the company.

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