Ramatex gives in to Filipino workers’ demands

THE Ramatex Textile Factory has averted industrial action by its Filipino workforce after it agreed to demands that their salaries be paid in United States dollars.

About 700 Filipino employees last week threatened to stop working overtime permanently if the factory did not heed to this request. An employee said yesterday that the factory had promised to open bank accounts and deposit their salaries in foreign currency as from September.They will still receive their overtime pay in Namibian dollars.Last week at least 500 workers refused to put in extra working hours for about four days during one of the plant’s peak production times in protest against their salary payments.Workers said they wanted to be paid their monthly salary of US$200 in foreign currency in accordance with their work contracts, because recent currency fluctuations had left them with around N$1200.When some of their contracts were negotiated two years ago, the exchange rate stood at as much as N$10 to one US$.The factory is highly dependent on overtime workers during peak production times such as at present.A spokesperson for the Filipino workforce said yesterday that the Asian employees had worked throughout the weekend to meet export demand.In December, the factory’s Filipino employees also took issue with management over their salaries, complaining that they were earning too little to cover the living costs, especially certain medical expenses.An employee said yesterday that the factory had promised to open bank accounts and deposit their salaries in foreign currency as from September.They will still receive their overtime pay in Namibian dollars.Last week at least 500 workers refused to put in extra working hours for about four days during one of the plant’s peak production times in protest against their salary payments.Workers said they wanted to be paid their monthly salary of US$200 in foreign currency in accordance with their work contracts, because recent currency fluctuations had left them with around N$1200.When some of their contracts were negotiated two years ago, the exchange rate stood at as much as N$10 to one US$.The factory is highly dependent on overtime workers during peak production times such as at present.A spokesperson for the Filipino workforce said yesterday that the Asian employees had worked throughout the weekend to meet export demand.In December, the factory’s Filipino employees also took issue with management over their salaries, complaining that they were earning too little to cover the living costs, especially certain medical expenses.