Namibia: Parking marshals strike over ‘illegal’ salary deductions

Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Shelleygan Petersen
Published on 2024-03-05 17:00:00

Workers at Keyplots Investments (KPI), a company managed by former Swapo member of parliament Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun, are demanding the return of money deducted from their salaries. The 23 parking marshals employed by KPI have stopped working after the company deducted amounts ranging from N$200 to N$1,700 from their monthly salaries of N$2,500. The deductions were made without the workers’ consent, with the company citing a shortage in the money collected by the parking marshals as the reason for the deductions.

The employees, who work long hours from 06h30 to 18h30, Monday to Friday, claim that this is not the first time the company has deducted money from their salaries. They insist that they will not return the devices used for parking collection until they are paid back the deducted amounts. The workers have accused the company’s operations manager, David Angula, of making the deductions without following due process and deny them paid leave.

In response, Angula has defended the deductions, stating that the employees acknowledged the shortages in the money collected and signed an acknowledgment of the deductions. He claims that warnings are issued before an employee is dismissed, as per the company’s policies. The deductions were based on the amount of money missing during individual workers’ shifts, according to Angula.

However, the workers have alleged that Angula fires employees without following the required disciplinary process and denies them paid leave or forces them to take unpaid leave. They also claim to be insulted and reprimanded by Angula for taking breaks during their long shifts. The workers attribute the shortages in parking fees collected to system migration issues.

Labour analyst Sydwill Scholtz has weighed in on the situation, stating that the deductions made by KPI violate the Labour Act, which only allows for deductions through a court order or an agreement between employers and employees. Scholtz asserts that the deductions made by KPI amount to 60% of the workers’ basic wage, which is in contravention of the act. He emphasizes the importance of conducting fair disciplinary processes and investigations into any alleged misconduct by employees.

KPI was appointed by the Windhoek Municipal Council to manage specific parking areas within Windhoek’s central business district. The company is responsible for managing and maintaining parking areas, including the city parkade and the parking area opposite Windhoek Police Station. Parking rates in these areas vary from N$3 to N$8 per hour depending on the location.

The situation between the parking marshals and KPI highlights the importance of fair labor practices and adherence to labor laws to protect the rights of employees. The workers are standing up for their rights and demanding accountability from their employer for the deductions made from their salaries without their consent.

Read the original article on The Namibian