ONGWEDIVA – The Namibia Commercial Catering Food and Allied Workers Union (NACCAFWU) has threatened the Shoprite group of companies with a countrywide strike, citing poor wages, exploitation, unfair deductions and unfair labour practices, amongst others.
Yesterday NACCAFWU Deputy Secretary General Joseph Garoëb told New Era that the union has taken Shoprite to the labour commissioner to declare a dispute of interest and they are now waiting for the labour commissioner to issue the certificate of dispute.
Although Shoprite has allegedly refused to recognise NACCAFWU as its employees’ union, Garoëb said the union would not back down from fighting for its members.
Over 1 700 of about 3 000 Shoprite group employees are said to have joined NACCAFWU, but the company continues paying the union fees to the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU), from which most of the employees have resigned.
When contacted for comment, Joel Kapingana of Shoprite’s Human Resource Department said the company “does not discuss internal matters with the media. I am not at liberty to talk to the media -sorry,” he said before ending the call.
Garoëb on the other hand maintained that Shoprite was also not forthcoming when the union tried to engage them in negotiations.
“When we spoke to Shoprite management about this issue, they said they are looking into the matter. They don’t really want to come to the table. These people are sitting on a time bomb. We are going to organise a big strike – legal or illegal, there is going to be a strike. We don’t know when but it is going to happen,” said Garoëb.
The burning issue that NACCAFWU wants to address with the Shoprite group of companies that includes Shoprite, Checkers, Hungry Lion and Usave is the issue of workers’ salaries that are said to be extremely low, compared to other retail stores and food outlets.
“Shoprite is a giant, but someone that worked there for 11 years still earns N$1 600. Employees are living in poverty. They do not have access to decent housing. Most employees are living in shacks, they have no medical aid, no transport allowance, no bonus. The workers are harassed. They are asked to write down the time of going to and coming back from the toilet. They still call their supervisors ‘baas’ and ‘meneer’… It cannot go on like this,” fumed Garoëb.
Garoëb also asked government to urgently intervene in the issue of Shoprite, maintaining the situation would deteriorate if there is no government action.
According to him the company still subjects employees to contract labour or casual work. The term used by the company is permanent part-time employment whereby staff earn as little as N$60 per week and the highest paid get N$300 per week.
Employees who spoke to New Era on condition of anonymity claimed that their colleagues who work on a permanent part-time basis are more exploited as they have no job description.
“You’ll find a person working at a till as a cashier, then she/he is sent to the shelves to go and pack and then they are given mops to clean. If they complain they are told they are casual labourers, hence, they have no right to complain,” said one employee.
Employees also claim promotion opportunities in the company only come with a change in a title and a workload increase but the salary stays the same. One says he’s worked for Shoprite for 10 years and still get less than N$3 000.
Employees are now demanding the company recognises NACCAFWU; plus better salaries as well as transport and housing allowances. They are also asking for their supervisors to treat them with respect and to stop refusing them testimonials whenever they want to join another company or whenever they apply to do further studies.