Mr Price workers unhappy with long working hours

STAFF at the Mr Price clothing store in Walvis Bay have complained of working long irregular hours, which sometimes stretch to over 18 hours a day, for the past two to three weeks.

On Wednesday, some staff who reported for duty at 08h00 in the morning, only knocked-off at eight the next morning translating into a 24-hour shift. Some of those who had worked for 24-hours had to continue working yesterday.Management of Mr Price confirmed that the staff had been working long hours for the past two weeks, because of stock counting.The concerned staff also alleged that they have been working these hours without any overtime payment as required by the Labour Act.When contacted for comment Mr Price area manager for the Erongo Region, Helen Stien said that the shop at Walvis Bay had a new manager and that some problems were experienced with the preparations for the stock count.Stien said that she would discuss the issues with the shop manager and the staff once the stock count had been completed.She would however not answer questions on overtime payment. The workers said that Stien told them that they would not get overtime payment for extra work, as it is regarded as part of their normal duties. Apart from the current stock taking, the staff claim that they are regularly required to work well after closing hours, without overtime pay.The Namibian has also been told that the company provides no transport from work for its employees and that staff, some of them young women, who have to walk long distances from the centre of Walvis Bay to Kuisebmund late at night.Speaking from South Africa, Ernst Jordaan, Mr Price Operations Manager responsible Namibia dismissed the allegations, saying that all staff are paid for all the overtime hours they work. ‘I sign off on all the overtime, and after staff have worked a certain number of overtime hours they are paid double time,’ Jordaan said and added that staff are provided with transport as well as meals if they are at work for more than one hour after closing time.Jordaan said that there may have been delays in the payment of overtime because the company, which deals with the payroll for Mr Price is located in Durban, South Africa. Jordaan told The Namibian that they are currently moving their payroll to a Namibian company to handle the payroll function for Namibian operations.’There is no way that we will allow that anyone will work overtime and not be paid for it,’ Jordaan said, adding that the situation with the stock count is a once off.

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