Shoprite must drop charges
The Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) has called on retail giant Shoprite to drop disciplinary charges against its workers for a 2015 strike they participated in.
The chairperson of ESJT, Herbert Jauch was speaking at a demonstration on Friday organised by the unions that represent the workers. He said the workers are currently represented by three unions and the fact that all three unions do not have a majority representation of all Shoprite staff, the retailer has been able to mistreat the workers. “Shoprite determines conditions of employment for its employees unilaterally without the workers' input. That has enabled them to mistreat the workers,” said Jauch.
Jauch said that the unions have tried to assist the employees but to no avail. He further said Shoprite management has been dragging its feet in terms of making sure that the charges are dropped against their workers and in ensuring that their employees had a good working environment. “Management still says the unions do not have an outright majority and that it did not negotiate with the unions. The negotiations failed because Shoprite management decided for the workers what kind of benefits they could get and what wages and increases they could get. This frustrated the workers in 2015 until they walked out at Shoprite and now they are facing disciplinary charges for that,” shared Jauch.
The trust said for almost two years, over 100 workers at Shoprite in Windhoek were facing disciplinary charges for taking part in a strike in 2015, adding that Shoprite had already dismissed 176 workers at Rundu and Gobabis.
According to the unions, the company continues to violate workers' rights and this must be stopped.
The spokersperson of the trust, Elsie Ashipala, said it was unfair and unacceptable that the average Shoprite worker was earning N$2 500 per month. “The average worker at Shoprite still earns about N$2 500 per month or less. As they receive no transport allowance, the workers spend between N$480 and N$960 per month on transport, depending on where they live. They also have to pay rent, on average N$1 000, even for a shack in a backyard. This is before they can even think of food, water and gas for cooking, and other basic necessities,” said Ashipala.
The workers in 2015 were charged with violating several company regulations - participating in an unlawful strike, gross insubordination, absence from duty without authorisation, incitement and the organisation of an unlawful strike, assault, destruction of private property and interfering with a company investigation
Shona Ngava
The chairperson of ESJT, Herbert Jauch was speaking at a demonstration on Friday organised by the unions that represent the workers. He said the workers are currently represented by three unions and the fact that all three unions do not have a majority representation of all Shoprite staff, the retailer has been able to mistreat the workers. “Shoprite determines conditions of employment for its employees unilaterally without the workers' input. That has enabled them to mistreat the workers,” said Jauch.
Jauch said that the unions have tried to assist the employees but to no avail. He further said Shoprite management has been dragging its feet in terms of making sure that the charges are dropped against their workers and in ensuring that their employees had a good working environment. “Management still says the unions do not have an outright majority and that it did not negotiate with the unions. The negotiations failed because Shoprite management decided for the workers what kind of benefits they could get and what wages and increases they could get. This frustrated the workers in 2015 until they walked out at Shoprite and now they are facing disciplinary charges for that,” shared Jauch.
The trust said for almost two years, over 100 workers at Shoprite in Windhoek were facing disciplinary charges for taking part in a strike in 2015, adding that Shoprite had already dismissed 176 workers at Rundu and Gobabis.
According to the unions, the company continues to violate workers' rights and this must be stopped.
The spokersperson of the trust, Elsie Ashipala, said it was unfair and unacceptable that the average Shoprite worker was earning N$2 500 per month. “The average worker at Shoprite still earns about N$2 500 per month or less. As they receive no transport allowance, the workers spend between N$480 and N$960 per month on transport, depending on where they live. They also have to pay rent, on average N$1 000, even for a shack in a backyard. This is before they can even think of food, water and gas for cooking, and other basic necessities,” said Ashipala.
The workers in 2015 were charged with violating several company regulations - participating in an unlawful strike, gross insubordination, absence from duty without authorisation, incitement and the organisation of an unlawful strike, assault, destruction of private property and interfering with a company investigation
Shona Ngava
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