All 276 employees of the Cash ‘n Carry shop in Rundu who took part in a demonstration against their management in December last year, will return to work on 08 February 2023.
Kavango East Governor, Bonifatius Wakudumo, announced this at a meeting held with the representatives of Cash ‘n Carry and the workers at his office here on Saturday.
The employees were served with suspension notices for allegedly taking part in what the company described as an illegal strike.
However, the employees refused to sign the letters and called in the Namibian Police Force and also submitted their grievances in the form of a petition to the Office of the Governor.
Wakudumo said his office, along with that of the Ministry of Labour, Industrialisation and Employment Creation, mediated the dispute with all parties involved on 20 January 2023.
“During this meeting, wider consultations were held, and it resulted in a settlement agreement being reached,” he said.
Wakudumo said a new work contract will be drawn up for all workers, which they will sign when they resume work.
Along with getting their old jobs back, the 276 workers will be granted a 10 per cent increase on their N.dollars 1 200 salary, an offer which they have accepted.
He said the two parties also came to an agreement on many issues such as payslip issuance, overtime and unlawful deductions, amongst others, which will be included in the settlement agreement for effective implementation.
The governor encouraged all parties to follow the labour laws of the country when dealing with labour dispute matters.
Acting Executive Director in the Ministry of Labour, Industrialisation and Employment Creation, Otniel Podewiltz, said the implementation of the agreement will continue up to the end of March.
He said several grievances, including labour malpractices, were investigated and will now hopefully be a thing of the past.
Gottlieb Ndjendjela’s labour consulting company represented Cash ‘n Carry, while labour consultant Linus Neumbo, appointed as power of attorney, represented the employees in the negotiations.
(NAMPA)
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
