Protest at Guan’s Packaging

Guan’s Packaging employees staged a peaceful protest during their lunch break in front of the company offices in Walvis Bay this week. “We are on the receiving end of bad treatment from the company management, request that a transparent grading system be implemented due to the unfairness of the current salary system and want the human resources officer to attend to our concerns. We are prepared to go all the way,” read a petition by about 20 workers who registered a dispute against the company with the Labour Commissioner’s Office on August 17. Guan’s Packaging Manager Herman Krause refuted the workers’ claims saying the company had paid double-digit increases (10%) to its workers over the past four years. “It is also only a handful of our 80 employees who participated in the protest. There is a recognition agreement, rules and regulations in place that need to be honoured and the company will do so. We referred the issue to the Labour Commissioner and the matter is sub judice,” he said. Metal and Allied Namibian Workers’ Union (MANWU) organiser Enwich Kazondu said the protest was “an act of desperation”. “We have been trying to engage with Guan’s Packaging since the beginning of the year and the shop stewards attended numerous meetings before MANWU intervened. “The workers are willing to negotiate in order to address our issues but have not been able to make any progress. “Krause dismissed all the democratically elected shop stewards and appointed his own on July 13,” commented Kazondu. He accused Krause of not wanting to recognise the union. He said most workers at Guan’s Packaging were formerly employed by Mondipak where they enjoyed an excellent working relationship and conditions. WALVIS BAY OTIS FINCK