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The contract workers at Meatco have requested support from the union as they claim they are being paid less than regular employees despite doing the same work.
Meatco temporary workers have accused the company of “abuse and glaring inconsistencies” within the company and noted a “widespread disconnect among staff”.
The employees claimed that unlike permanent employees and employees of other public enterprises, fixed-term contract employees have been working for many years and do not have a probationary period.
“Contract workers have been subjected to unfair treatment, which has damaged their contribution and morale,” they said in a joint statement last week with Namibia Food and Allied Union (Nafau) representative Lister Tawana.
The statement said that although temporary workers “do the same work in the same category”, they are not paid the same wages as permanent workers.
They claimed that “wages are not distributed equally in accordance with the Employment Act No. 29 of 1998, which requires equal pay for equal work.”
The company added: “This lack of recognition and unequal treatment compared to regular employees is unacceptable. We believe all employees should be treated fairly and equally. It is with this belief that we raised our concerns and demands through negotiations, but the company was unwilling to cooperate.”
No choice but to strike
Speaking to this publication on Wednesday, Tawana said they have yet to receive any response from Meatco despite having submitted the petition to the employee relations officer, Limbo Salufu, last week, who accepted it on behalf of Meatco chief executive officer, Mwilima Mushokabanji.
“We have also raised this issue with the Ministry of Labour through mediator Moses Mazambo and they have given us a date of August 7 to form a union to resolve these pressing issues. If not, the employees will have no choice but to go on strike,” he said.
The employees are demanding equal respect and consideration regardless of contract type and that contract workers with four years and more be made permanent based on their hire date.
They asked Meatco and Nafau to quickly identify vacant positions, hire the 51 contract workers permanently and give them the same benefits as permanent employees.
They further demanded that the salary revision should be fairly distributed as agreed without any conditions or exceptions, saying that “all employees should get a fair share of the revision”.
“The wage adjustment shall be divided into two parts, 50% of which shall be paid upon signing of the agreement for the current fiscal year and the remaining part in January next year. This ensures transparency and fairness in the allocation of wage adjustments without conditions,” the statement read.
Possible solutions
The petitioners also called on the Minister of Public Enterprises to intervene and explore possible solutions.
The workers believe that these demands are not only reasonable, but necessary to ensure a fair and just working environment for all employees. “We urge (Meatco) to take these issues seriously and take immediate action to correct these injustices,” the statement read.
The company further said that despite the fact that most of the C-level employees are union members, Meatco has been delaying the inclusion of C-level employees in the recognition and procedural agreement. C-level employees include mid-level employees who have specific skills, experience and qualifications relevant to their positions.
“Employees have the right to (choose to) join a bargaining union. Meatco management should respect this right and give necessary recognition without interfering,” the statement said.
Review of complaints
When contacted for comment, Salufu said: “We are reviewing the petition to understand what is causing concern and will refer it to the board. Once the issues are addressed, we will provide feedback to employees immediately.”
His claim that “companies never noticed the abuse” seems to be without basis.
“This comes as a surprise. As an equal opportunity employer, we would never mistreat our employees. We abide by the laws of the country,” he pointed out.
Salufu added that a consultant is currently investigating the alleged wage discrepancy to ensure proper reconciliation. “We have shared this information with the workers from the beginning. They are aware and updated on the resolution process. Why are they raising all these questions?”
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