Windhoek
Workers at Arebbusch travel lodge gave its management 24 hours to respond to their demands for better wages and improved conditions of service or face industrial action.
The workers who were represented by the Namibia Food and Allied Worker Union (Nafau) yesterday handed a petition to management listing their grievances and demands.
They want the company to give free breakfast and lunch to all employees, implement a minimum wage of N$2 500, stop violating and maltreating workers and effect an increment of 10 per cent for all employees of the lodge.
They said a new employee gets N$2 000 while the highest could earn up to N$3 600.
“We have observed that as workers our needs are inferior to that of management as they are well paid – and the building is looking good compared to us, enough is enough.
“For us to produce quality services we need to be paid decent salaries and have better condition of services. A happy employee is a productive employee. We are only giving them 24 hours to respond to this before we take serious action or they should expect the worst,” said Sophia Kustaa an employee who handed the petition to management.
The manager John Williams, who workers described as rude and arrogant, just took the petition and walked away without saying a word.Nafau secretary general Lister Tawana commented: “Such kind of people should be exposed because they are not good to the society as such practices are not allowed, he is even rude in the way he handles this matter. These are the types of people that should be deported.” Workers further complained that employees are fired on a daily basis when they are found eating leftovers or tasting food.
“The management is insensitive to the needs of workers and they don’t respect the rights of workers in terms of trade unions. They violate our rights and as they encourage us to resign from trade unions we want warn them to stop this malpractice – if they persist we will report to the relevant authority,” said Kustaa.
They further complained management is refusing to recognize their trade union.