Maravi

Barloworld Equipment axes union rep over salary query

Barloworld Equipment axes union rep over salary query
By Joan Chirwa
Wednesday October 17, 2007 [04:00]

Management at Barloworld Equipment Limited has suspended a union representative for seeking to know whether employees were happy with the 12 per cent salary increment awarded to them. And National Union of Transport and Allied Workers (NUTAW) general secretary Sam Phiri, who also received a copy of the suspension letter sent to branch chairman Elliot Sililo last Friday, accused Barloworld of being one of the companies with poor labour relations.

One of the employees who sought anonymity explained that misunderstandings between management and workers began in April when negotiations for a salary increment began.

“We have been negotiating from April. Initially, we were offered a two per cent increment. When we complained, the amount was increased to six per cent and later went up to 12 per cent," said the source.

"The company is making a lot of money but we wonder why management cannot give us a reasonable increment. There is also a tendency to employ South Africans, Zimbabweans and Malawians in management positions for jobs that most Zambians can do. Most of the Zambian workers are not given housing allowance but the expatriates are accommodated. All these are targeted at Zambians. And it is more worrying to see that someone who has been representing us was suspended for preparing questionnaires where workers were asked to state whether they were happy with the current general working conditions. I don't think that was wrong to even earn someone a suspension."

Sililo confirmed his suspension in an interview but refused to comment further on the matter, saying he was seeking an audience with management for further clarifications.

And Phiri said Barloworld Equipment had not responded well to a number of issues raised by the union regarding workers' conditions of service.

"Barloworld is one of the companies with bad labour relations and I am saying so because of the way they have responded to us on a number of issues.

We are currently negotiating and the branch chairman just responded to what is being done by sending questionnaires to members," Phiri said.
"That suspension of Sililo has no basis. It is illegal and a pure attempt to intimidate workers."

When contacted Barloworld Equipment acting director Mark Liquorish refused to comment and described the issue as a “purely internal matter.”

Labels: BARLOWORLD, LABOUR, TRADE UNIONS

posted by MrK @ 3:46 AM