Amupanda drags Unam to labour court

Academic Job Amupanda has dragged his employer, the University of Namibia (Unam), to labour court, citing discrimination and unfair labour practices.Amupanda claims he has been subjected to workplace harassment at the hands of his employer and that attempts to report the matter to the university’s management have fallen on deaf ears.In August, Amupanda lodged a complaint with Unam council chair, Dr David Uirab, claiming that while the grievances of other university employees are addressed promptly, little to no action has allegedly been taken to address workplace grievances affecting him.Victim of harassment Amupanda claims he has experienced workplace harassment since 2018. “From 2018, I became a frequent target of harassment on an annual basis through bogus investigations and answering to allegations by faceless individuals. Despite my misgivings, I decided to subject myself to university policies and procedures,” he noted in a letter to Uirab, dated 19 October.Amupanda alleges the university’s top brass have refused to respond to his claims of harassment in line with internal practices.“When it became clear that there seems to be a sinister agenda, I decided to take matters up directly with the university policies. The university leadership blatantly refused to hear my concerns and act in accordance with the university policies,” Amupanda noted.Several concernsUirab committed to looking into the matter, a letter seen by Namibian Sun shows. “I have taken note of the content contained in your aforesaid letter and inform you that the matter will be deliberated upon by the council of Unam,” Uirab wrote.University vice chancellor Professor Kenneth Matengu allegedly also refused to intervene.“Because of a myriad of concerns that I raised with several university offices on 5 August 2023, I addressed a letter to the vice chancellor detailing all my concerns and treatments at the hands of offices under his control and direction. I then sought his intervention because I had exhausted all structures below him,” he said.“On 29 August 2023 he responded to my letter, basically refusing to intervene and referring me again to the same lower structures that have refused to attend to me again and have indeed been exhausted,” Amupanda added.Delayed action Grievances were also not being attended to speedily, Amupanda said.“While the grievance policy says that the grievance must be attended to within five days, the university failed to address the grievance in terms of the grievance policy. In fact, the grievance is still not heard to date, and as a matter of fact, the university and the vice chancellor are refusing to hear the grievance in terms of the university policies,” Amupanda claimed.“It is for this reason that, following confirmation by Mrs Saara Mbwale from human resources department, to that effect that the university still refuses to hear the grievance, and in line with the grievance policy of the university, I decided to take the matter up with the Office of the Labour Commissioner,” he explained.Policies not followedThe university also failed to respond in a timely fashion to previous grievances registered by Amupanda.“This is a recurring theme. In 2020, I submitted a grievance that the university refused to hear in terms of the university policy, which resulted in me withdrawing it. The grievance I submitted against Mr Charles Mwangala, who is a vice chancellor functionary, is similarly not heard despite the policy stating it must be resolved in five days,” he said.Another concern Amupanda raised was that Matengu was handling a grievance registered against him outside of university policy.“While other grievances are being heard speedily, mine are not heard, and worse, within the framework of the university policy. Worse, Professor Matengu, whom I am aggrieved against, is actually the one determining how the grievance involving him must be addressed, outside the grievance policy of the university,” Amupanda said.“For a university that teaches administration and labour law, this blatant disregard of policies and laws is a serious travesty that must not be taken lightly.

Amupanda drags Unam to labour court

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Vilho Pombili Hamutenya 1 Year Ago23 October 2023

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Amupanda drags Unam to labour court

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Vilho Pombili Hamutenya 1 Year Ago23 October 2023

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