Keetmans Council plans retrenchments

RETRENCHMENT and restructuring plans are apparently on the cards at the cash-strapped Keetmanshoop Municipality.

The Namibian has reliably learnt that the Municipality has already started with the restructuring and 24 jobs are at stake. However, the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, has denied this.According to a reliable source, 20 semi-skilled and unskilled jobs and four middle-management positions would be affected.The source said workers had been informed by their superiors about the retrenchment plans.”Instead of targeting the top- and middle-management positions that cost the municipality enormous amounts in terms of monthly salaries, they are targeting semi- and unskilled workers who earn peanuts,” the source said.It is believed that the municipality currently has 13 managers on its payroll, and that salaries cost it close to N$1 million a month.Shangadhi told The Namibian on Thursday that talk about retrenchment and restructuring was “just speculation”.He said the relevant workers’ union and the Ministry of Local, Regional Government and Housing would be notified of any retrenchments.They had not received such notification because such plans did not exist, Shangadhi said.He did concede that the municipality was looking for ways to “trim structures” within the municipality.The CEO said the Town Council would convene tomorrow to discuss the matter.However, the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, has denied this.According to a reliable source, 20 semi-skilled and unskilled jobs and four middle-management positions would be affected. The source said workers had been informed by their superiors about the retrenchment plans.”Instead of targeting the top- and middle-management positions that cost the municipality enormous amounts in terms of monthly salaries, they are targeting semi- and unskilled workers who earn peanuts,” the source said.It is believed that the municipality currently has 13 managers on its payroll, and that salaries cost it close to N$1 million a month.Shangadhi told The Namibian on Thursday that talk about retrenchment and restructuring was “just speculation”.He said the relevant workers’ union and the Ministry of Local, Regional Government and Housing would be notified of any retrenchments.They had not received such notification because such plans did not exist, Shangadhi said.He did concede that the municipality was looking for ways to “trim structures” within the municipality.The CEO said the Town Council would convene tomorrow to discuss the matter.