Meatco workers strike over pay

STAFF at Meatco’s Windhoek abattoir downed tools yesterday morning as the overtime dispute continued.

Meatco’s spokesperson Uschi //Hoebes said employees had not slaughtered a single head of cattle and the Namibia Wholesale and Retail Workers Union (NWRWU) was consulting the Office of the Labour Commissioner. The latest strike came after the company instituted a no-work, no-pay principle to force employees who were on an overtime ban to return to overtime duties.//Hoebes said the company could not do without overtime during peak slaughtering periods.The Government-owned SWA Meat Corporation, another name for Meatco, deducted money from some employees who, it claimed, had only worked approximately five hours a day while earning money for nine hours.Employees from the slaughter-floor downed tools and demanded that the company pay back the money that it deducted from them for the April 13 to 16 week that they did not work overtime.During that week the company was forced to reduce its slaughter quota from 450 cattle per day to 250 a day.The number has since gone back to normal.//Hoebes said Meatco stuck by its no-work, no-pay principle where employees will only be paid for actual hours worked.The decision was taken in April.Alois Yon, Secretary General of the NWRWU, was called in by the workers.After listening to their complaints, he requested a meeting with the company representatives that ended in a deadlock.Yon said he would consult the Office of the Labour Commissioner today or tomorrow.Normally producers are the hardest hit by such actions since they suffer additional financial costs for the additional grazing time of market-ready slaughter cattle.It also affects the grading of their cattle when they are eventually slaughtered.The latest strike came after the company instituted a no-work, no-pay principle to force employees who were on an overtime ban to return to overtime duties.//Hoebes said the company could not do without overtime during peak slaughtering periods.The Government-owned SWA Meat Corporation, another name for Meatco, deducted money from some employees who, it claimed, had only worked approximately five hours a day while earning money for nine hours.Employees from the slaughter-floor downed tools and demanded that the company pay back the money that it deducted from them for the April 13 to 16 week that they did not work overtime.During that week the company was forced to reduce its slaughter quota from 450 cattle per day to 250 a day.The number has since gone back to normal.//Hoebes said Meatco stuck by its no-work, no-pay principle where employees will only be paid for actual hours worked.The decision was taken in April.Alois Yon, Secretary General of the NWRWU, was called in by the workers.After listening to their complaints, he requested a meeting with the company representatives that ended in a deadlock.Yon said he would consult the Office of the Labour Commissioner today or tomorrow.Normally producers are the hardest hit by such actions since they suffer additional financial costs for the additional grazing time of market-ready slaughter cattle.It also affects the grading of their cattle when they are eventually slaughtered.