Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Windhoek-Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu) secretary general Asnath Zamuee has sent out a stern warning of possible demonstrations against Prosperity Health Namibia should it continue with its purported “hire and fire tendencies.”
In the letter to Prosperity Health Namibia managing director Bertus Struwing last month, Zamuee said the union had observed a tendency by the company to “hire and fire”, which was highly worrisome.
“Our members live in fear at your organisation because of the hire fire-tendencies,” Zamuee remarked.
She said the function of discipline in the employment context is to ensure that employees contribute effectively and efficiently to the goals of the enterprises.
Zamuee was concerned that the current trend at Prosperity with its dismissal of its staff left and right and centre had reached alarming levels, and reminded her of the apartheid era when employers fired staff for minor wrongdoing.
“How can employees be productive under these circumstances? As can be expected, workers are frustrated and demoralised,” she charged.
She accused the management of the Prosperity Group of still dwelling in the past heydays of oppressive labour laws even though the country had replaced such injustice with the current Labour Act to ensure justice, respect and fairness.
“The so-called disciplinary hearings, which are being held are a mere formality and a sham because the chosen chairperson is a friend to Ms. Heydenrich and a former colleague,” she said.
Furthermore it was evident in all her findings and recommendations that her role was to please the employer, which gave her the business.