Cashiers� union decries stubborn employers

Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday April 19, 2016 15:52

Yesterday, the national organising secretary of the union, Dimpho Nyambe, told journalists that the state of affairs was making it difficult for them to organise.

The union, established last year, is seeking to draw members from the retail, wholesale, motor trade and manufacturing industries, where previous surveys have indicated rampant labour discrepancies and low unionisation.

Nyambe, a retail sector veteran, said companies within these sectors had traditionally run strictly on profit lines with little regard for employees’ rights.

“The highest irregularities here are unfair dismissals,” he said.

“Most employers with the sectors we are mandated with, do not follow the right procedure when dismissing employees. They just use their discretion and emotions.”

He said employers perceive workers in these sectors as very disposable given the unemployment situation in the country.

“For this reason, employees find themselves at the mercy of employers. In addition to very low pay in these sectors, there is no job security at all,” said Nyambe.

CASAWU is battling for recognition agreements to be signed with about 10,000 employers, most of whom claim to be oblivious to the issues being raised.

“We face lots of problems when recruiting members because employers can’t recognise us as they assume there are no problems. What is disturbing is the fact that some employers in the private sector are not aware and do not respect the right of employees to unionise and be represented,” he said.

To date, only three workplaces have signed recognition agreements while four others are being pursued. The union has a membership of 3, 000, said Nyambe who said lack of statistics also makes it difficult to tell the number of employees within these sectors.

CASAWU faces a mammoth task of ensuring proper regulations are in place and to professionalise these sectors because as things stand, the workers are treated as second-class citizens, Nyambe said.

“Our members have lost faith in the Department of Labour’s ability to redress the numerous challenges they face.

“We intend to meet the Minister of Labour in order to discuss this matter because we are receiving growing numbers of complaints but they don’t have hope of being assisted,” he said.

CASAWU will hold a trade union exposition between April 29 - 30 as a way of maximising awareness about its existence and educating the public about labour relations, the significance of advocacy and promoting collective bargaining.

The expo, to be held in the Main Mall, is organised by Smartcreations Advertising & Communications Agency.