Shinguadja lashes Shoprite as retailer bows
Grocery chain Shoprite on Friday announced the withdrawal of a N$4.5 million lawsuit against 93 of its workers for losses sustained during illegal strikes in strike in December 2014 and July 2015.
The announcement came shortly after a mass demonstration in Windhoek and the threat of a national boycott of Shoprite and all its subsidiaries.
The permanent secretary of the ministry of labour, Bro-Matthew Shinguadja, also called on all state entities, and in particular the Food Bank administrators, not to buy from the Shoprite Group of Companies.
In an angry statement Shinguadja said business and trading licences must come with a revoking clause and should be conditional to better labour conditions, fundamental rights and freedoms of workers. He warned the security industry, filling stations, retailers and wholesalers and trucking companies that they were under the labour microscope to initiate self-reform.
“Abuse and exploitation of workers are manifestations of a master and slave relationship that should be condemned by all Namibians who care,” said Shinguadja.
In a statement issued on Friday, Shoprite Namibia said it had decided in the interest of all parties involved to withdraw the summons issued to 93 staff members of Shoprite supermarkets in Windhoek.
It pointed out that internal disciplinary hearing against these employees were continuing and an outcome was expected in the next few weeks.
“The Shoprite Group has a long-standing view that all workers are entitled to reasonable working conditions. We have always made an effort to base dealings with our employees on the principles of fairness and respect and in compliance with provisions of prevailing labour legislation,” the statement read.
Lawyer Nixon Marcus, representing the Shoprite workers, disputed some of the statements made by Shoprite.
According to him Shoprite's claim that it issued the summons following a cost order issued in its favour in November 2015 for loss of sales, legal costs and damages incurred because of the strikes in December 2014 and July 2015, was untrue.
“First, loss of sales and damages are never awarded in the form of cost orders, not in this country, not in our courts. That is why they instituted the action against the workers to recover these costs in the first place,” said Marcus.
He added that Shoprite approached the Labour Court in an attempt to recover the legal costs for the court application relating to the December 2014 strike.
“In the judgment of 22 September 2015, the Labour Court not only refused Shoprite the costs they sought to recover, but the court awarded special costs against Shoprite for having attempted to recover these costs in the manner it did,” he said.
Marcus added that with respect to the July 2015 strike, the Labour Court did not make an order on costs when it disposed of the application on 24 September 2015.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The announcement came shortly after a mass demonstration in Windhoek and the threat of a national boycott of Shoprite and all its subsidiaries.
The permanent secretary of the ministry of labour, Bro-Matthew Shinguadja, also called on all state entities, and in particular the Food Bank administrators, not to buy from the Shoprite Group of Companies.
In an angry statement Shinguadja said business and trading licences must come with a revoking clause and should be conditional to better labour conditions, fundamental rights and freedoms of workers. He warned the security industry, filling stations, retailers and wholesalers and trucking companies that they were under the labour microscope to initiate self-reform.
“Abuse and exploitation of workers are manifestations of a master and slave relationship that should be condemned by all Namibians who care,” said Shinguadja.
In a statement issued on Friday, Shoprite Namibia said it had decided in the interest of all parties involved to withdraw the summons issued to 93 staff members of Shoprite supermarkets in Windhoek.
It pointed out that internal disciplinary hearing against these employees were continuing and an outcome was expected in the next few weeks.
“The Shoprite Group has a long-standing view that all workers are entitled to reasonable working conditions. We have always made an effort to base dealings with our employees on the principles of fairness and respect and in compliance with provisions of prevailing labour legislation,” the statement read.
Lawyer Nixon Marcus, representing the Shoprite workers, disputed some of the statements made by Shoprite.
According to him Shoprite's claim that it issued the summons following a cost order issued in its favour in November 2015 for loss of sales, legal costs and damages incurred because of the strikes in December 2014 and July 2015, was untrue.
“First, loss of sales and damages are never awarded in the form of cost orders, not in this country, not in our courts. That is why they instituted the action against the workers to recover these costs in the first place,” said Marcus.
He added that Shoprite approached the Labour Court in an attempt to recover the legal costs for the court application relating to the December 2014 strike.
“In the judgment of 22 September 2015, the Labour Court not only refused Shoprite the costs they sought to recover, but the court awarded special costs against Shoprite for having attempted to recover these costs in the manner it did,” he said.
Marcus added that with respect to the July 2015 strike, the Labour Court did not make an order on costs when it disposed of the application on 24 September 2015.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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