The 'thingification' of workers

The thingification of employees has become more flagrant and commonplace over recent years in Namibia, with complaints from diverse industries showing disgruntled workers demanding better wages as well as other benefits. Thingification is the treatment of human beings as objects who are deprived of rights and agency. It caters to the needs of employers attempting to maximise profits while undermining employees’ needs, interests, and well-being.

Reports show that some employees feel like disposable financial assets – a cog in the machine – and are not seen as human beings on a team. Due to poverty and desperation, many people sacrifice their humanity at the expense of the capitalist who uses them as objects.

Abuse order of the day

Most businesses and companies have been accused of treating their employees as objects, paying them peanuts, and forcing them to work under deplorable conditions, leading to low staff morale. And, while wages are low, it is at times paid late. Due to low wages, workers are unable to contribute to union membership fees, rendering them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation by the owners or managers.

Many workers are looked at and frowned upon, are discriminated against, not respected, and treated unfairly, while at the same time not having sufficient benefits, not to mention the constant and frequent bullying by managers. Some retailers/shops don't have ablution facilities for workers, and those who do, don't put tissues in the bathroom, as those who dare to ask for toilet paper are told to wear diapers. It is disheartening that the Ministry of Labour, which is the custodian of labour-related matters, pays little attention to these poor employees’ plight.

Since they are considered things, they are dismissed unfairly and without warning, and due to desperation, they don't complain for fear of being fired. Those who dare to show their frustrations through protest are threatened with suspension, which instils fear about speaking out. It is saddening to see suspended or dismissed workers replaced by new recruits who are subjected to the same abuse and exploitation.

Lack of support

For how long will the voiceless and powerless suffer at the hands of the capitalists who view them as things while the governing party, which fought against the exploitation of workers, watches?

One of the reasons the liberation struggle was waged was due to the exploitation of workers. It is heartbreaking to see that the governing party, which was vocal against worker exploitation, has now taken on a capitalist mentality of prioritising profit at the expense of workers’ welfare by siding with insensitive investors or business owners.

Activists, who dare to speak on behalf of exploited and downtrodden workers, are threatened with arrest, forcing other powerless workers to remain silent despite their continuous suffering. These powerless workers are only seen as beneficial during elections, when their votes are needed.

Mere tools

Some supervisors don't care whether employees have the right tools to achieve the desired results. We see teachers working in dilapidated buildings without adequate resources. However, when results are not satisfactory, they are blamed. We see employees with outdated equipment who are expected to perform miracles when collecting news for broadcasting.

Even the drivers of some ministers are treated as objects or machines without giving due consideration that they too can get tired as they have to work abnormal hours attending to the minister’s private needs. Workers' individuality is stripped away since the organisation is treated like a machine, where employee voices only interfere with its orderly function. In such a working environment, dissent makes it harder to execute a strategy, and so corporate rules are enforced to prevent employees from challenging the status quo.

Therefore, employees leave their real selves at the gate of their companies/institutions. Their emotional well-being is squashed, and they eventually resemble corporate clones, which are defined by decades of self-serving leadership where the pressure for output is the only concern.

With a focus on instrumentality, the hierarchical relationships at work and power positions can lead to the perception of subordinates as mere tools who are useful for one’s own purpose. In this case, "thingification" involves the tendency to approach subordinates exclusively on the basis of their usefulness to achieve a goal, regardless of their concerns and human qualities.

Call for workplaces with a human face

The United Nations continues to call for the creation of workplaces with a human face. Its Human Development Report 1999 has the subtitle "Globalisation with a Human Face" and opens with the following: "The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy, and creative lives. This simple but powerful truth is too often forgotten in the pursuit of material and financial wealth (United Nations Development Programme 1999, I)."

The time has come for the labour ministry and unions to play their roles in attending to the grievances of workers in all sectors, especially security companies, factories, various industries (fishing, construction), Chinese shops, retailers, and farm workers.

It is also high time that unions wake up and revive the pre-independence spirit of advancing members' rights rather than chasing political positions. Many workers are discouraged from joining unions because they are perceived to receive bribes and are toothless in fighting for their interests. How an employee is treated can have a huge effect on her or his well-being and the success of the institution or company.