Contract workers accuse Meatco of unfair pay, treatment

Temporary Meatco workers have accused the company of “ill-treatment and evident discrepancies” within the organisation, citing a “widespread disconnect among the workforce.”The employees claim that fixed-term contract employees have worked for years without probation periods, unlike permanent employees and those in other public enterprises.In a statement issued last week alongside Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) representative Lister Tawana, they said: “Contract employees have been subjected to unfair treatment, undermining their contributions and morale.”The statement said temporary employees are not paid the same salary as those permanently employed, despite “doing the same work in the same categories.” They claim that "salaries have not been equitably distributed upon as per the Employment Act 29 of 1998, which [calls for] same work for equal value."It added: “This lack of recognition and unequal treatment compared to permanent employees is unacceptable. We believe that all employees deserve fair and equal treatment. It is with this conviction that we bring forth our concerns and demands through negotiation, however, the company is not willing to cooperate.”No choice but to strikeSpeaking to this publication on Wednesday, Tawana said they still haven’t received any feedback from Meatco, despite submitting their petition last week to employee relations officer Limbo Salufu, who accepted it on behalf of Meatco CEO Mwilima Mushokabanji.“We have also taken the issue up with the labour ministry, via conciliator Moses Mazambo, and they have given us the date of the coalition to resolve these pressing issues on 7 August. If not, the employees will have no choice but to go on strike,” he said.The employees are demanding equal respect and consideration, irrespective of contract type and for contract employees who have worked for four years and above to be employed permanently, per their engagement dates.They demand that Meatco and Nafau promptly identify vacant positions to permanently employ the available 51 contract employees and give them the same benefits as their permanent counterparts.They further demanded that salary adjustments be distributed equally as agreed upon, without any conditions or exceptions, citing that “all employees deserve a fair share of the adjustments.”“The salary adjustments should be divided into two portions, of which 50% is upon signing the agreement for the current financial year and the remaining portion in January next year. This ensures transparency and fairness in the distribution of the salary adjustments without conditions,” the statement read.Possible solutionsThe petitioners have also called on the minister of public enterprise to intervene and explore possible solutions.The workers believe that these demands are not only reasonable but necessary to ensure a fair and equitable working environment for all employees. “We urge [Meatco] to address these concerns with the seriousness they deserve and take immediate action to rectify these injustices,” the statement read.It further stated that Meatco has delayed including C-band employees in the recognition and procedural agreement, despite most of them being union members. The C-band employees include mid-level employees who have specific skills, experience and qualifications relevant to their roles.“It is the right of employees to [choose] to be a part of the bargaining unity. Meatco management should respect this right and grant the necessary recognition without interference,” said the statement.Reviewing complaints When contacted for comment, Salufu said: “There is a deliberation on it [the petition] to understand what has raised the concerns and take it up at the board’s level. Feedback will be provided to the employees as soon as the matter is attended to.”He claimed that “the issue of ill treatment was never brought to the enterprise's attention” and appears unfounded.“This came as a surprise. As an equal [opportunity] employer, there is no way we would mistreat our employees. We abide by the laws of the country,” he noted.Salufu added that a consultant is currently examining alleged salary discrepancies to ensure proper alignment. “We have shared this information with the workers from the onset. They are aware of and updated on the resolution process. Why are they raising all these issues?”

Contract workers accuse Meatco of unfair pay, treatment

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Contract workers accuse Meatco of unfair pay, treatment

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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