Northern Spar employees bemoan mistreatment

TUYEIMO HAIDULA



OSHAKATI

Employees of Spar Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa in the Oshana Region are seeking the intervention of the labour commissioner to look into unfair working conditions and insults they claim they are subjected to by their employer.

Last Thursday, the employees held a peaceful demonstration and handed over a petition to Ivette Mouton, the assistant manager at Oshakati.

Elina Shafodino, who read the petition on behalf of her colleagues, said they are not happy with the way they are treated as they feel exploited.

The employees also said they are fired without due processes and their managers do not respect the Namibian labour law. Shafodino said they are demanding management to dismiss the manager at Oshakati Spar.

Some of the grievances listed in the petition include late working hours without overtime payment.

Abusive language, racism

“Workers are forced to pay for items that are mistakenly packed in customer’s plastics once the security personnel detect it at the door. Workers are forced to buy expired items of food. This unfair labour practice must also come to an end on or before 30 October.

“Intimidation/insulting and abusive language and racism are the order of the day at Spar. Rotation workers [should] be given enough time or informed in advance for rotation and assisted in terms of transport fees and accommodation,” she said.

The Revolutionary Union and the The Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) represented the employees.

Mouton said she will pass on the petition and promised to give the employees feedback as soon as possible.

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