Maravi

Southern Sun workers accuse manager of racism

Southern Sun workers accuse manager of racism
By Joseph Mwenda
Fri 28 Oct. 2011, 08:40 CAT

EMPLOYEES and hotel guests at Southern Sun Ridgway Hotel in Lusaka have complained of alleged racial harassment and intimidation from the general manager Adrian Penny. But workers union representative Jacob Ngulube encouraged workers to follow the right procedure for airing grievances.

Impeccable sources within the hotel told The Post that the said senior manager had been harassing employees and some black guests at the hotel. But Penny dispelled the accusation, saying the workers hate him because he pushes them to work according to internationally accepted standards.

Meanwhile, a former guest confirmed being ill-treated during his stay at the four-star hotel.

A source at the hotel revealed that a senior chef was recently harassed in full view of other hotel staff and guests for preparing a wrong menu for one of the white guests.

"The guest ordered some food through the waiter and when her order was brought, she complained that it was not what she ordered. At that point the general manager heard her complain and he came, grabbed the plate with the food and went to splash it on the face of the chef after shouting at her," said the source.

"He always issues derogatory remarks at us, telling us that as Zambians we are very dull and docile people who need somebody to think for us."

But Penny said he pushes the workers to work according to internationally accepted standards.

"Our clientele coming into this hotel is about 40 per cent Zambian and 60 per cent international. I am a strict manager when it comes to the standards of the hotel. The only people who are complaining about me are the people who are not doing their job and I am pushing them to come to standard," Penny said.

[If they're not doing their job, why aren't they fired, Adrian? - MrK]

He said he socialises with all the guests as the general manager of the hotel.

"I greet all the guests, I speak to everybody without discrimination. But when it comes to staff, we have to provide an international standard. What is acceptable to the average Zambian is not acceptable to an average international traveller. We can't say here is a guest who says 'can I have a beer' and you ‘snoop' around. It's got to be snappy and it's got to be quick. So in that circumstance, yes I will say we go to provide an international standard because the Zambian standard is not sufficient," he said.

"It's like in the army; you can't complain about the sergeant because that training will one day save your life. I would rather dress somebody down than put something in writing to them and have the whole disciplinary procedure that can result into them losing their job."

Penny said he had worked in eight African countries and had no record of being a racist.

But a former guest at the hotel who was visiting from the Copperbelt said he was victimised once.

"I was invited for a game of squash at a venue just next to the hotel. I got a bathing towel and cleared the linen with the reception but as I was leaving the building, the general manager stopped me and accused me of stealing the towel. He shouted at me from outside and everybody was watching. It was so embarrassing," the victim narrated.

But Penny said he would have treated any other guest the same way.

"I know that gentleman from BP. He pulled out his vehicle, ran into the hotel gym jumped into his vehicle and was about to depart. I said, 'excuse me, this is hotel property'. Staying in the hotel gives you certain rights but it does not give you the right to remove property from the hotel. That was tantamount to theft. If that was a muzungu, or Indian or Eskimo, I would have reacted in the same way," said Penny.

He later solicited for random interviews with hotel staff who ironically confirmed the victimisation.

"He runs the hotel like it's a military academy. Besides that we get paid K611, 000 as basic salary without service charge allowances and before tax," said one housekeeper.

But Ngulube said no employee at Southern Sun had ever complained to the union about Penny's alleged behaviour.

"As far as I am concerned, no one has come to complain about Mr Penny. There is a way which we use to resolve such cases like in the past some workers who were dismissed have been reinstated after discussing the matter with Mr Penny himself," he said.

Ngulube assured the workers that the union would protect them if they reported abuses using the right channels.

Labels: CATERING, LABOUR, MANAGEMENT, RACISM

posted by MrK @ 5:55 PM