Shoprite dismisses 110 Rundu workers

A total of 110 employees at the Shoprite Rundu Mall branch are currently unemployed as their employer showed them the door following participation in a peaceful demonstration held in June. The Regional Shop Steward, Mukonda Joseph, told Namibian Sun they were dismissed last week Friday upon arrival at their respective work stations. Joseph says the reason for their dismissal was based on the fact that they took part in an allegedly peaceful demonstration where they demanded better wages and benefits which the shop refused to take into consideration. He explained that the reason why they took part in the peaceful demonstration was because their representatives which they sent to negotiate with management and their proposals were shut down. They had therefore decided to take action against their employer by means of a peaceful demonstration. “Our representatives were told by the company that it’s either that they accept what the employers are offering, or leave,” he said. Joseph said they were given five working days to appeal against their dismissal, which they did, as they had delivered the appeal to Shoprite yesterday and were currently only waiting for the employer’s response. The future is however still not clear for the 65 Shoprite/Checkers employees in Windhoek, where the Windhoek workers were summoned to attend disciplinary hearings last month. The Windhoek employees are charged with violating six company regulations that include participating in an unlawful strike, gross insubordination, absence from duty without authorisation, incitement and organisation of an unlawful strike, assault, destruction of private property and interfering with a company investigation. A group of workers, after attending a disciplinary hearing hgeld last month, called upon President Hage Geingob to come to their rescue, saying his efforts to eradicate poverty in Namibia are being trampled upon by their current employer who pays them just over N$1 000 per month. The shop steward of the Shoprite Lafrenz branch, Shikolele Shikolele said the hearings have been postponed to the end of October and that the second round of hearings are only scheduled to take place in November of this year. The employees are demanding benefits such as medical aid, transport and housing allowances and an explanation as to why they are prohibited by their employer from joining the trade union. Speaking to Namibian Sun, the branch manager of Shoprite Rundu confirmed that the 110 workers were dismissed, but could not provide any information regarding the reasons for dismissal, stating that he was not authorised to speak to the press. KENYA KAMBOWE