#BoycottShoprite campaign goes viral
Shoprite has turned to the High Court to sue 94 workers who it says wilfully cost it losses of N$4.5 million during strikes in 2014.
Scores of Namibians have taken to social media to call for a boycott of all Shoprite and Checkers stores, following revelations that Shoprite is suing 94 of its workers who demanded better work and pay conditions.
Shoprite Namibia is suing its employees for N$4.5 million in damages following strikes in 2015, disciplinary hearings and losses suffered by the retailer as a consequence.
The workers also face the possibility of being dismissed.
Should Shoprite succeed in its application, the workers who earn under N$4 500 per person per month, may spend the rest of their lives paying off the supermarket chain.
Shoprite filled a summons in the Windhoek High Court last Wednesday.
Under the hashtag #BoycottShoprite, the retailer was over the weekend lambasted for the lawsuit and its low pay structure.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) leader Job Amupanda tweeted: “You sue workers N$3 million when you pay them N$1 200 each per month? I am not entering Shopright until further notice (sic).”
Law Reform Development Commission (LRDC) chairperson Yvonne Dausab was also scathing on Twitter.
“Let us not shop at Shoprite, Checkers and Hungry Lion. We cannot stand by and watch our people be exploited like this.”
“Shoprite. Seriously you [are] suing workers N$3.4 million when you don't pay them enough to live a dignified life. This is ridiculous.”
Lawyer Elize Angula tweeted: “We are taking the fight to them. We are tired of abuse from all corners.”
She also pledged N$10 000 of her own money to help fund the workers' legal battle.
This is not the first time that a boycott has been called against Shoprite.
In September last year the Namibian Commercial Catering, Food and Allied Workers' Union (NACCAFWU) and several Shoprite employees launched a boycott campaign.
“The campaign is meant to encourage the public to sympathise with employees of the Shoprite group of companies primarily because they are lowly paid,” NACCAFWU's deputy secretary general Joseph //Garoeb said at the time.
Lawyer Uno Katjipuka, who works for Nixon Marcus, the law firm representing the 94 workers, said that they would not be backing out of the fight with the retail giant.
“We have to represent the workers. We cannot abandon them now,” she told Namibian Sun.
Shoprite was also rapped over the knuckles last year in South Africa when it came to light that some of its employees were being paid N$450 per week.
The National Transport Movement (NTM) threatened to shut down Shoprite, Checkers and Hungry Lions stores due to unresolved wage disputes.
The union said Shoprite, its subsidiaries and labour brokers were paying some employees R400 per week, and that workers rejected this amount as “poverty wages”.
In papers filed in the Windhoek High Court, Shoprite through its lawyers Lorentz Angula Incorporated claims it was the workers' intention to halt and or reduce its turnover, force Shoprite to close its stores and cause it to suffer economic losses and reputational harm.
Shoprite further claims it was unable to keep its premises open on 28 July 2015 and suffered a loss of N$288 000.
To avert the strike, Shoprite had to pay N$3.4 million in legal costs, while temporary staff were employed to keep its stores open at a cost of N$189 750. To conduct disciplinary hearings, Shoprite had to fork out an additional N$616 398, bringing total losses suffered as a consequence of the workers' actions to N$4.5 million.
To further compound matters, a director in the labour ministry, Phillip Mwandinga, in August 2015 said the strike undertaken was illegal.
OGONE TLHAGE
Shoprite Namibia is suing its employees for N$4.5 million in damages following strikes in 2015, disciplinary hearings and losses suffered by the retailer as a consequence.
The workers also face the possibility of being dismissed.
Should Shoprite succeed in its application, the workers who earn under N$4 500 per person per month, may spend the rest of their lives paying off the supermarket chain.
Shoprite filled a summons in the Windhoek High Court last Wednesday.
Under the hashtag #BoycottShoprite, the retailer was over the weekend lambasted for the lawsuit and its low pay structure.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) leader Job Amupanda tweeted: “You sue workers N$3 million when you pay them N$1 200 each per month? I am not entering Shopright until further notice (sic).”
Law Reform Development Commission (LRDC) chairperson Yvonne Dausab was also scathing on Twitter.
“Let us not shop at Shoprite, Checkers and Hungry Lion. We cannot stand by and watch our people be exploited like this.”
“Shoprite. Seriously you [are] suing workers N$3.4 million when you don't pay them enough to live a dignified life. This is ridiculous.”
Lawyer Elize Angula tweeted: “We are taking the fight to them. We are tired of abuse from all corners.”
She also pledged N$10 000 of her own money to help fund the workers' legal battle.
This is not the first time that a boycott has been called against Shoprite.
In September last year the Namibian Commercial Catering, Food and Allied Workers' Union (NACCAFWU) and several Shoprite employees launched a boycott campaign.
“The campaign is meant to encourage the public to sympathise with employees of the Shoprite group of companies primarily because they are lowly paid,” NACCAFWU's deputy secretary general Joseph //Garoeb said at the time.
Lawyer Uno Katjipuka, who works for Nixon Marcus, the law firm representing the 94 workers, said that they would not be backing out of the fight with the retail giant.
“We have to represent the workers. We cannot abandon them now,” she told Namibian Sun.
Shoprite was also rapped over the knuckles last year in South Africa when it came to light that some of its employees were being paid N$450 per week.
The National Transport Movement (NTM) threatened to shut down Shoprite, Checkers and Hungry Lions stores due to unresolved wage disputes.
The union said Shoprite, its subsidiaries and labour brokers were paying some employees R400 per week, and that workers rejected this amount as “poverty wages”.
In papers filed in the Windhoek High Court, Shoprite through its lawyers Lorentz Angula Incorporated claims it was the workers' intention to halt and or reduce its turnover, force Shoprite to close its stores and cause it to suffer economic losses and reputational harm.
Shoprite further claims it was unable to keep its premises open on 28 July 2015 and suffered a loss of N$288 000.
To avert the strike, Shoprite had to pay N$3.4 million in legal costs, while temporary staff were employed to keep its stores open at a cost of N$189 750. To conduct disciplinary hearings, Shoprite had to fork out an additional N$616 398, bringing total losses suffered as a consequence of the workers' actions to N$4.5 million.
To further compound matters, a director in the labour ministry, Phillip Mwandinga, in August 2015 said the strike undertaken was illegal.
OGONE TLHAGE
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