MUN accuses Rosh Pinah of victimisation
The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) has accused the Rosh Pinah Zinc Mine of appointing an employer relations (ER) specialist to get rid of workers that went on strike in 2016.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Elvis Bekele, MUN southern regional organiser expressed “shock” with the conduct of ER specialist Angeline Hagen-Barnard, who according to him is appointed solely to exercise constructive dismissals at the mine.
According to him, Hagen-Barnard “doubles or triples any charge reported to her office in order to ensure that the employee does not survive the hearing and as a result people are dismissed left and right.”
“Miss Angeline was not employed to come to Rosh Pinah to build positive labour relations with employees, but to come and destroy the relationship between the company and employees who are union members, and they are victimised based on their status as union members. There are no sound labour relations, harmony and peace between the company and employees since she was appointed as ER specialist. She has an autocratic leadership style and does not see employees as human beings,” said Bekele.
He added that workers now as a result of this alleged treatment live in fear and are uncertain about their future at the company as they are “terrified” at work.
“We cannot understand how she was appointed as ER specialist; she must refrain from her philosophy from treating employees like pigs. She must recognise differences and respond to those differences in ways that will ensure employee retention and greater productivity,” Bekele urged.
Meanwhile Rosh Pinah spokesperson Kondja Kaulinge said he is not aware of these complaints but insisted Hagen-Barnard was employed with no ill-intention in mind.
“There were people charged during the strike last year but we have agreed with the ministry to withdraw all those charges. I am not aware of these allegations,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
In a statement issued Wednesday, Elvis Bekele, MUN southern regional organiser expressed “shock” with the conduct of ER specialist Angeline Hagen-Barnard, who according to him is appointed solely to exercise constructive dismissals at the mine.
According to him, Hagen-Barnard “doubles or triples any charge reported to her office in order to ensure that the employee does not survive the hearing and as a result people are dismissed left and right.”
“Miss Angeline was not employed to come to Rosh Pinah to build positive labour relations with employees, but to come and destroy the relationship between the company and employees who are union members, and they are victimised based on their status as union members. There are no sound labour relations, harmony and peace between the company and employees since she was appointed as ER specialist. She has an autocratic leadership style and does not see employees as human beings,” said Bekele.
He added that workers now as a result of this alleged treatment live in fear and are uncertain about their future at the company as they are “terrified” at work.
“We cannot understand how she was appointed as ER specialist; she must refrain from her philosophy from treating employees like pigs. She must recognise differences and respond to those differences in ways that will ensure employee retention and greater productivity,” Bekele urged.
Meanwhile Rosh Pinah spokesperson Kondja Kaulinge said he is not aware of these complaints but insisted Hagen-Barnard was employed with no ill-intention in mind.
“There were people charged during the strike last year but we have agreed with the ministry to withdraw all those charges. I am not aware of these allegations,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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