New rumblings at Ramatex

RAMATEX employees are up in arms again, this time because the Malaysian-owned textile company is allegedly treating a shop steward unfairly.

On Friday, workers accompanied by representatives of the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) delivered a petition to management, expressing unhappiness with the termination of the contract of shop steward Tomas Regalio. Regalio reportedly played an important role in the negotiations between Nafau and Ramatex management earlier this year, which eventually led to workers receiving long-awaited salary increases in October.But while other Namibian employees were granted salary increases of N$1.10 per hour and an annual bonus of 60 per cent which comes into effect this month, Regalio was excluded from this before finally being given his marching orders this month.The company’s management has apparently told the shop steward that he was excluded from these benefits because he is a foreign employee, receiving his salary in US dollars.Nafau, on the other hand, claims that Regalio had become “a thorn in their [Ramatex’s] flesh”, and that he was being unfairly treated.He has been a permanent resident of Namibia since 1989, they say, and has been working for the company for the past five years.Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias said last week that they had reported the matter to the office of the Labour Commissioner for possible intervention.Approached for comment after receiving the petition on Friday, Ramatex General Manager Boon Keong Ong said that the issue was an internal one that would be taken care of shortly.”We don’t see any problem, we’ll sort it out,” he said.Regalio reportedly played an important role in the negotiations between Nafau and Ramatex management earlier this year, which eventually led to workers receiving long-awaited salary increases in October.But while other Namibian employees were granted salary increases of N$1.10 per hour and an annual bonus of 60 per cent which comes into effect this month, Regalio was excluded from this before finally being given his marching orders this month.The company’s management has apparently told the shop steward that he was excluded from these benefits because he is a foreign employee, receiving his salary in US dollars. Nafau, on the other hand, claims that Regalio had become “a thorn in their [Ramatex’s] flesh”, and that he was being unfairly treated.He has been a permanent resident of Namibia since 1989, they say, and has been working for the company for the past five years.Nafau General Secretary Kiros Sackarias said last week that they had reported the matter to the office of the Labour Commissioner for possible intervention.Approached for comment after receiving the petition on Friday, Ramatex General Manager Boon Keong Ong said that the issue was an internal one that would be taken care of shortly.”We don’t see any problem, we’ll sort it out,” he said.

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