OandL Leisure on Thursday announced its decision to introduce urgent temporary rescue measures to safeguard the sustainability of its business and mitigate the risk on the tourism sector, which has been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A media statement by the Ohlthaver and List (OandL) Group, of which OandL Leisure is a subsidiary, said the third wave of the pandemic hit the region and their business hard, especially during the second quarter of the year.
The temporary rescue measures include the reduction of basic salaries of employees at its various properties by between 25 and 50 per cent (depending on the level of activity) effective 01 August to 30 October 2021.
OandL Leisure Managing Director Norbert Wurm in the statement also said Chobe Water Villas and Mokuti Etosha Lodge will be closed until 01 October, while Strand Hotel Swakopmund will remain open for business with reduced operations and its Farmhouse Deli remaining in operation for in-house guests and take-away.
Midgard Country Estate will remain open for business and at full operation with ongoing training and construction, with its official opening scheduled for towards the end of September. The OandL Leisure Central Office will also reduce working hours between 25 and 50 per cent depending on work requirements, and with remuneration adjusted accordingly, the statement said.
Wurm said during the entirety of the crisis until recently, OandL Leisure has reduced overtime costs and adjusted work schedules, amongst others, while choosing not to resort to restructuring, retrenchments or mandatory salary reductions.
“In an effort to alleviate the pressure and safeguard the wellbeing of our employees and sustain our business we, unfortunately, have no other choice but to take necessary measures to ensure we overcome the short-term challenges facing us. These are trying times and while we had hoped to overcome this crisis, we now have the opportunity to become more resilient than ever before by collectively taking hands and pushing through this crisis, together,” he said.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
