Bees disrupt demonstration

WORKERS at the Oshakati Country Lodge staged a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, demanding better salaries and working conditions.

The demonstration was disrupted by a swarm of bees that attacked the protesters while they were reading their petition to the hotel’s labour consultant, Gotty Ndjendjela. The bees sent the close to 50 workers, hotel managers and reporters running for safety, cutting the protest short.The workers listed a string of grievances relating to work conditions, salary deductions, an alleged lack of affirmative action, and what they described as unacceptable behaviour by managers.Ndjendjela said he would forward the complaints to the hotel management and board of directors.Asked for comment, hotel manager Barnd Bohmcher told The Namibian that nearly all the points raised by the workers were “nonsense”.He said workers were treated fairly and paid according to the Labour Act.The deduction of pension contributions was mandatory, he said, and the company was implementing affirmative action in full compliance with the law.The bees sent the close to 50 workers, hotel managers and reporters running for safety, cutting the protest short.The workers listed a string of grievances relating to work conditions, salary deductions, an alleged lack of affirmative action, and what they described as unacceptable behaviour by managers. Ndjendjela said he would forward the complaints to the hotel management and board of directors.Asked for comment, hotel manager Barnd Bohmcher told The Namibian that nearly all the points raised by the workers were “nonsense”.He said workers were treated fairly and paid according to the Labour Act.The deduction of pension contributions was mandatory, he said, and the company was implementing affirmative action in full compliance with the law.