RUNDU – The Rani Group’s Rundu Cash and Carry supermarket, which has recently been in the media for all the wrong reasons, is at it again. This time the supermarket is forcefully transferring all their workers who were recently reinstated after they had been suspended for conducting an illegal demonstration over poor working conditions and low wages, among others.
“We are pleading with the public to stay away from supporting the shop until issues affecting the workers are resolved because we have the buying power, so that we teach them a lesson. Imagine their salaries were not paid in full. Some were paid N$200. They have responsibilities but they are being treated like slaves,” said labour consultant Linus Neumbo, who is representing the workers.
On Tuesday evening, the workers were telephonically informed of their transfers to different regions where Rani Group has outlets.
The employees refused the transfer as they are poorly paid and won’t be able to afford to travel nor afford to live where they are being forced to go.
They concluded that they are being fired indirectly because the list only contains those that were reinstated.
Yesterday morning, the affected workers blocked the shop entrance demanding an audience with their employer, saying no one will enter the shop until they go back to work.
The workers also said they are being victimised for the recent incident where some employees allegedly leaked a video which exposed the supermarket for allegedly selling expired products. Health inspectors later raided the shop and they were ordered to dispose of six trucks of expired goods.
After the employees were reinstated, the parties had a settlement agreement but nothing was allegedly implemented. “We have a settlement agreement which is binding all the parties and it must be implemented within three months. Nothing was implemented and when the employees within their rights pointed out expiry food and the mess going on in this shop in retaliation, they are being transferred to other shops out of the region. That will never happen. It means it is a constructive dismissal,” Neumbo said.
“No employee will comply. We are going to sort it out with the ministry of labour and if there is no solution, we are going to bring in an urgent interdict to stop this and if the Rani Group wants peace, they must get rid of Gotty Ndjendjela from the labour hire agency Employees Services Namibia,” Neumbo noted.
Tsumeb councillor Gottlieb Ndjendjela, who owns Employees Services Namibia and represents Rani Group, did not respond to questions sent to him before going to print.