Cellphone use costs jobs

A NEW safety regulation at a local paint manufacturer and distributor has resulted in 11 employees losing their jobs there last week, and this situation on Monday prompted these former workers and their families to demonstrate in front of the factory outside Windhoek.

In March, the management of Peralin Paints introduced a rule prohibiting the use of cellphones in areas where highly flammable products are used for paint manufacturing, or where these are stored. According to the group, who spoke to The Namibian after their protest, one factory worker, Desmond Kunjwa, was caught using a cellphone in a restricted area.During Kunjwa’s disciplinary process, others who had cellphones on them were also identified and suspended along with him, the group said.The group approached the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), which argued that the rule against the use of cellphones was discriminatory.MUN representative Tommy Kaehero said the company was supposed to have consulted with the union before making it part of company policy.The workers also charge that certain favoured employees were excluded from this new rule, being allowed to keep their cellphones on them.The workers claim that there was a list of people who were allowed to keep their cellphones with them at work, but that after the 11’s suspension and subsequent uproar, this list was changed to only name the departments exempted from the cellphone ban.However, on the same day the list was changed, group spokesperson Kunjwa says, they were informed that they were being dismissed.Those who had been living in houses provided by the company were also issued with letters of eviction.They have until next month to vacate these houses.In the petition handed to Peralin Director Angelica San at the factory on Monday, workers called on the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the office of the Labour Commissioner to intervene.”(This) is the same company which 10 years back encouraged us to buy our own cellphones so we could stop using the company phone.And it is the same company today that is dismissing us for using them.All along, cellphones were not seen as a health risk at Peralin Paint.Why now if we haven’t even had any infrastructural or operational changes for the past 20 years?” the petition reads.The group also levelled allegations of racial discrimination and discrimination in the company’s allocation of wages.They also charged that the company had replaced the dismissed workers with casual labour from labour-hire companies, a controversial practice opposed by labour unions.The company reacted to all the allegations against it in a statement signed by Director San, and described the workers’ charges as “blatantly untrue”.”In particular, no casual employees from any labour-hire company were used to replace the former employees, no employee was locked out from their work, (and) Peralin Paints rejects any and resents accusations, insinuations or interferences to any form of discrimination”.The employees were dismissed for gross misconduct, after they were found guilty at properly constituted disciplinary and appeal hearings, the company says.”The respective appointed chairpersons found the employees guilty as charged and found that the appropriate sanction under the circumstances was summary dismissal.Management has accepted the outcome,” San wrote.According to the group, who spoke to The Namibian after their protest, one factory worker, Desmond Kunjwa, was caught using a cellphone in a restricted area.During Kunjwa’s disciplinary process, others who had cellphones on them were also identified and suspended along with him, the group said.The group approached the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), which argued that the rule against the use of cellphones was discriminatory.MUN representative Tommy Kaehero said the company was supposed to have consulted with the union before making it part of company policy.The workers also charge that certain favoured employees were excluded from this new rule, being allowed to keep their cellphones on them.The workers claim that there was a list of people who were allowed to keep their cellphones with them at work, but that after the 11’s suspension and subsequent uproar, this list was changed to only name the departments exempted from the cellphone ban.However, on the same day the list was changed, group spokesperson Kunjwa says, they were informed that they were being dismissed.Those who had been living in houses provided by the company were also issued with letters of eviction.They have until next month to vacate these houses.In the petition handed to Peralin Director Angelica San at the factory on Monday, workers called on the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the office of the Labour Commissioner to intervene.”(This) is the same company which 10 years back encouraged us to buy our own cellphones so we could stop using the company phone.And it is the same company today that is dismissing us for using them.All along, cellphones were not seen as a health risk at Peralin Paint.Why now if we haven’t even had any infrastructural or operational changes for the past 20 years?” the petition reads.The group also levelled allegations of racial discrimination and discrimination in the company’s allocation of wages.They also charged that the company had replaced the dismissed workers with casual labour from labour-hire companies, a controversial practice opposed by labour unions.The company reacted to all the allegations against it in a statement signed by Director San, and described the workers’ charges as “blatantly untrue”.”In particular, no casual employees from any labour-hire company were used to replace the former employees, no employee was locked out from their work, (and) Peralin Paints rejects any and resents accusations, insinuations or interferences to any form of discrimination”.The employees were dismissed for gross misconduct, after they were found guilty at properly constituted disciplinary and appeal hearings, the company says.”The respective appointed chairpersons found the employees guilty as charged and found that the appropriate sanction under the circumstances was summary dismissal.Management has accepted the outcome,” San wrote.