Parking marshals strike over ‘illegal’ salary deductions

. . . Employees demand a reimbursement from ex-Swapo MP firm boss

Parking marshalls of Keyplots Investments (KPI), which manages the Windhoek municipality’s parking assortment, have stopped working after the corporate has deducted not less than N$1 500 from their salaries of N$2 500 per 30 days.

Keyplot Investments is totally owned by United Africa Group, which is co-owned by former Swapo member of parliament Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun.

The group of 23 parking marshals have accused the corporate of unlawfully deducting cash from their wages with out their consent.

This isn’t the primary cash it deducted from their salaries, they are saying.

Quantities deducted in December ranged from N$200 to N$600, whereas this elevated to between N$1 500 and N$1 700 in January.

The staff say they had been notified that the cash deducted was to make up for a scarcity in cash they collected as parking marshals.

“This was accomplished with out our consent,” a few of them instructed The Namibian yesterday.

The employees say they had been appointed between March and June final 12 months.

Their month-to-month wage is N$2 500 with no advantages, they usually work from 06h30 till 18h30 (12 hours a day) from Monday to Friday.
“We is not going to give again their machines till they pay again our cash,” the group mentioned.

They had been referring to the gadgets used to supply receipts and seize the quantities of cash gathered for parking.

The employees blamed the corporate’s operations supervisor, David Angula, for the deductions, and claimed he additionally denies them paid go away.

Angula yesterday confirmed that deductions have been made and mentioned staff have signed an acknowledgement of this.

“We now have inspectors on website who guarantee everyone will get their breaks. It’s unlucky they’ll’t all get the 13h00 lunch break on the identical time.

“They’re divided into shifts, which permit them to get breaks,” Angula mentioned.

He mentioned warnings are issued earlier than an worker is dismissed, in keeping with the corporate’s insurance policies.

Angula mentioned the quantities deducted trusted how a lot cash went lacking throughout particular person employees’ shifts.

“They stole the corporate’s cash and have acknowledged it, that’s why their salaries have been deducted [sic].

“I counsel the staff to return to the workplace so we get into an settlement on the way in which ahead,” he mentioned.

The employees, nevertheless, say: “The supervisor [Angula] fires staff with out due strategy of three warnings or disciplinary hearings, and he forces the employees to go on unpaid go away or refuses paid go away to be taken.”

They are saying they’re insulted by Angula and are reprimanded when taking lunch or rest room breaks.
Shortages in parking charges collected happen attributable to system migration, they are saying.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Labour analyst Sydwill Scholtz says the Labour Act requires that deductions could solely be made via a courtroom order or an settlement between employers and staff.

“With that comes the accountability of employers to supply a written assertion of the fee made. That is what’s known as a payslip.

“Along with the above, the Labour Act 11 of 2007 requires that not a couple of third of the fundamental wage of an worker could also be used for such deductions,” Scholtz says.

N$1 500 is 60% of N$2 500, which is in contravention of the act, he says.

“Employers have the precise to research and self-discipline employees who fall foul of the required degree of conduct or normal of care, however this must be accomplished with due course of and should even be performed pretty always.

“Subsequently, an investigation into the place shortages could have come from must be performed, and based mostly on the end result thereof, if cash is misplaced by staff, disciplinary steps might be taken towards them for the losses, and agreements might be reached concerning the reimbursement of the losses,” he says.

Scholtz says if the staff work 12 hour shifts with out being declared as safety guards, 15 of their 60 hours for the week can be deemed as additional time.

This must also be indicated as such on staff’ payslips, he says.

“As well as, the Labour Act particularly permits staff an hour lunch break, following 5 hours of steady work. These rights are defined beneath staff’ fundamental situations of employment, which every employer within the nation should adjust to – except exemption on very particular grounds and for particular occasions are granted because the circumstances could dictate,” Scholtz says.

KPI was appointed by the Windhoek Municipal Council to handle and keep particular parking areas inside Windhoek’s central enterprise district for 5 years.

On 19 June final 12 months, KPI commenced managing areas, together with the town parkade (adjoining to City Sq.) and the parking space reverse Windhoek Police Station.

Parking charges are charged in keeping with the situation of the parking space at N$8, N$5 or N$3 per hour.