‘Retrenchments target union officials’

RECENT retrenchments in Windhoek purposefully targeted members of labour unions and were also done to cut the costs of employing permanent staff, a union official claims.

Kyros Sackarias, General Secretary of the Namibian Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau), said companies just dumped labourers on the streets. He was referring to Nafau president Abel Kazondunge, who was laid off during a restructuring exercise at Windhoek Schlachterei, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List Group.Briefing the media last week, Sackarias said Kazondunge was one of 58 employees who had had to reapply for a position either at the butchery or for placement at another O&L subsidiary.However, he was informed on May 10 that his application had been unsuccessful.”Only 18 of the staff at Windhoek Schlachterei were lucky enough to be re-employed, we heard, but received no confirmation yet from O&L.We are still waiting for a progress report on the issue,” Sackarias said.He added that retrenchment packages, which he alleged were not negotiated, were paid into the bank accounts of those who had lost their jobs.The restructuring was done in March.”At another Windhoek company, Commercial Investment Holdings, 93 workers, all of them Nafau members, were unceremoniously and unfairly retrenched,” Sackarias claimed.”All of them had to reapply for the same jobs they have been doing over the years.Eighty-two applications were submitted to CIC but only four applicants were considered for re-employment as we speak,” the Nafau official said.”The company further went on to terminate the recognition agreement illegally for their cheap argument that the union has violated the agreement.The company has outsourced the warehouse department and promised to employ the ex-employees through a company called Labour Supply Chain.The disturbing factor is that the person who spearheaded the restructuring process is now alleged to be the Human Resources Manager after completing his evil exercise of dumping the workers in the street: a conflict of interest,” Sackarias alleged.The Nafau official then mentioned that 23 workers were dismissed at the Aranos Abattoir in February and have not yet been given an opportunity to appeal the case.They lost their jobs after refusing to slaughter sheep in a way that was contrary to normal procedures, according to Sackarias.The abattoir terminated the recognition agreement with the union without notice.Nafau demands the reinstatement of all 23 workers without further delay.The union leader felt that the retrenchment clauses in the Labour Act of 2004 gave companies too much of a free hand.He was referring to Nafau president Abel Kazondunge, who was laid off during a restructuring exercise at Windhoek Schlachterei, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List Group.Briefing the media last week, Sackarias said Kazondunge was one of 58 employees who had had to reapply for a position either at the butchery or for placement at another O&L subsidiary.However, he was informed on May 10 that his application had been unsuccessful.”Only 18 of the staff at Windhoek Schlachterei were lucky enough to be re-employed, we heard, but received no confirmation yet from O&L.We are still waiting for a progress report on the issue,” Sackarias said.He added that retrenchment packages, which he alleged were not negotiated, were paid into the bank accounts of those who had lost their jobs.The restructuring was done in March.”At another Windhoek company, Commercial Investment Holdings, 93 workers, all of them Nafau members, were unceremoniously and unfairly retrenched,” Sackarias claimed.”All of them had to reapply for the same jobs they have been doing over the years.Eighty-two applications were submitted to CIC but only four applicants were considered for re-employment as we speak,” the Nafau official said.”The company further went on to terminate the recognition agreement illegally for their cheap argument that the union has violated the agreement.The company has outsourced the warehouse department and promised to employ the ex-employees through a company called Labour Supply Chain.The disturbing factor is that the person who spearheaded the restructuring process is now alleged to be the Human Resources Manager after completing his evil exercise of dumping the workers in the street: a conflict of interest,” Sackarias alleged.The Nafau official then mentioned that 23 workers were dismissed at the Aranos Abattoir in February and have not yet been given an opportunity to appeal the case.They lost their jobs after refusing to slaughter sheep in a way that was contrary to normal procedures, according to Sackarias.The abattoir terminated the recognition agreement with the union without notice.Nafau demands the reinstatement of all 23 workers without further delay.The union leader felt that the retrenchment clauses in the Labour Act of 2004 gave companies too much of a free hand.