Strike paralyses Meatco

AROUND 80 employees at the Meatco plant in Windhoek, who work on the slaughter floors, downed tools yesterday, inflicting a loss of more than N$30 million on the company.

As a result, around 430 cattle stood in the kraals for the whole day and the company notified farmers not to bring in more livestock. The Government-owned SWA Meat Corporation, another name for Meatco, said through its spokesperson, Uschi Ramakhutla, that normal production ground to a halt in the morning after the company suspended an employee accused of assaulting a fellow worker on Wednesday.She said the company’s action seemed to have angered a group of employees, who decided to go on an illegal strike.The strike does not bode well for Namibia’s meat industry, nor for the national economy.Meatco is Namibia’s major supplier of meat products, and the strike could result in meat shortages.Further, farmers could end up being hard hit.Ramakutla said the strike came at a bad time, especially for farmers who are trying to reduce livestock because of the imminent drought.”Farmers want to sell as much as possible to get the animals off grazing,” she said.The company will be hard hit by the strike action because it will be forced to pay for the additional feeding of market-ready cattle.It also affects the grading of the carcasses when they are eventually slaughtered.Meatco, which is in the midst of salary negotiations, defended its decision not to cancel the disciplinary action.It said that it was obliged to ensure the right of each employee to feel safe and secure when entering the workplace.”Meatco cannot allow the infringement of rights or intimidation of its employees.Although the aggrieved employee withdrew his grievance complaint, it is Meatco’s duty to act strictly and fairly, investigate all grievances and take action pending final findings,” Ramakhutla said.”Meatco will not make exceptions to the values that all employees have committed themselves to.These values must be adhered to by every individual in the employ of the corporation,” she said.The workers sat outside their workplace for most of yesterday while their representatives from the Namibian Wholesale and Retail Workers’ Union (NWRWU) discussed the issue with the company.Joshua Mabuku, acting Secretary General of NWRWU, said a meeting was scheduled with the company in the presence of officials from the Office of the Labour Commissioner today.”We will see what will happen tomorrow but the workers are refusing to go back to work,” he said in the afternoon.Ramakhutla said farmers who were to deliver their cattle for slaughtering today have been advised of the situation and would be notified when to bring them.By lunchtime yesterday the company gave the strikers a first notice to return to their duty stations.It was followed with a second warning by around 15h00.Ramakhutla said the company would take legal action if the employees again failed to fulfil their responsibilities.The Government-owned SWA Meat Corporation, another name for Meatco, said through its spokesperson, Uschi Ramakhutla, that normal production ground to a halt in the morning after the company suspended an employee accused of assaulting a fellow worker on Wednesday.She said the company’s action seemed to have angered a group of employees, who decided to go on an illegal strike.The strike does not bode well for Namibia’s meat industry, nor for the national economy.Meatco is Namibia’s major supplier of meat products, and the strike could result in meat shortages.Further, farmers could end up being hard hit.Ramakutla said the strike came at a bad time, especially for farmers who are trying to reduce livestock because of the imminent drought.”Farmers want to sell as much as possible to get the animals off grazing,” she said.The company will be hard hit by the strike action because it will be forced to pay for the additional feeding of market-ready cattle.It also affects the grading of the carcasses when they are eventually slaughtered.Meatco, which is in the midst of salary negotiations, defended its decision not to cancel the disciplinary action.It said that it was obliged to ensure the right of each employee to feel safe and secure when entering the workplace. “Meatco cannot allow the infringement of rights or intimidation of its employees.Although the aggrieved employee withdrew his grievance complaint, it is Meatco’s duty to act strictly and fairly, investigate all grievances and take action pending final findings,” Ramakhutla said.”Meatco will not make exceptions to the values that all employees have committed themselves to.These values must be adhered to by every individual in the employ of the corporation,” she said.The workers sat outside their workplace for most of yesterday while their representatives from the Namibian Wholesale and Retail Workers’ Union (NWRWU) discussed the issue with the company.Joshua Mabuku, acting Secretary General of NWRWU, said a meeting was scheduled with the company in the presence of officials from the Office of the Labour Commissioner today.”We will see what will happen tomorrow but the workers are refusing to go back to work,” he said in the afternoon.Ramakhutla said farmers who were to deliver their cattle for slaughtering today have been advised of the situation and would be notified when to bring them.By lunchtime yesterday the company gave the strikers a first notice to return to their duty stations.It was followed with a second warning by around 15h00.Ramakhutla said the company would take legal action if the employees again failed to fulfil their responsibilities.