RUNDU – The only private hospital in Rundu is struggling to pay employees’ salaries on time.
This was revealed by employees who vented their frustrations with this publication.
They indicated they have not received their full pay since January.
Their salaries, they claim, are also paid in bits and pieces as opposed to full monthly salaries.
The situation has forced them into failing to honour monthly financial obligations, including home and vehicle loan repayments.
So dire is the situation that the affected employees were yet to receive salaries for March.
Genesis
On 6 March, the hospital’s management placed a notice asking employees to resign, stating they were downsising.
“Dear employees, notice of redundancy and/or restructuring and voluntary retrenchment – Rundu Private Hospital,” screams the notice seen by this reporter.
It continues: “After careful consideration of all the facts at hand, Rundu Private Hospital herewith informs you that due to serious financial constraints of the current depressed economic climate and the simple lack of business, Rundu Private Hospital must consider a full business restructure to ensure long-term sustainability. We simply cannot continue as at present. Rundu Private Hospital has no option, other than to commence with the business redundancy and/or restructure”.
It goes on to say: “Rundu Private Hospital thus undertakes to follow all best practices and the provisions of the Namibian Labour Act to sustain the business. In addition to the above, Rundu Private Hospital will be accepting voluntary retrenchment applications for consideration. Acceptance and/or rejection is dependent on the operational requirements of the business”.
According to the notice, the voluntary retrenchment packages will be considered as an alternative to compulsory retrenchment.
“Having considered that voluntary retrenchment will save us various costs and time, we will offer a voluntary package above that of the legally-required package as well as notice pay, compared to the minimum statutory package which would follow a full consultation process. Should you wish to apply for voluntary retrenchment, please do so in writing to the HR officer by no later than close of business on 12 March 2024.”
Victims
One of the employees said: “The owners just posted this in the kitchen, then the supervisor posted on WhatsApp that they are downsising. Nothing was discussed with the employees. Now, they are forcing the employees to resign. All workers are scared to speak up out of fear of victimisation”.
Some employees who decided to heed the call are now facing hardships in getting their pension, they informed New Era.
According to one of the employees who decided to quit, the hospital has been unable to get their pension, as it allegedly failed to pay over that which was deducted from the employes as part of their pension contributions for several months.
Efforts by this reporter to get comment from hospital owner Dr Sampie Pienaar, who has been running the hospital from Windhoek, have been unsuccessful.
Text messages and emails sent to Pienaar since March have yielded no response, while his phone has gone unanswered.