Africa-Press – Namibia. THE United States Embassy has confirmed the laying off of some construction workers at its new embassy, working under the contractor BL Harbert International, through non-renewal of contracts amid allegations of unfair labour practices.
Some of the construction workers at the United States Embassy have raised grievances over salary cuts, salary delays for over three months, unpaid leave days and over time, and favouritism at the workplace, among others.
A worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Namibian yesterday that some workers were forced to sign retrenchment documents at the UN Plaza at Soweto on Monday. The company, which allegedly had over 100 construction workers, laid off some of the workers on Monday at short notice.
Another employee also claimed that the company makes them work from Monday to Saturday. He also complained of favouritism after some workers were appointed and given higher posts than those with qualifications.
The workers, who received their December salaries, claimed that they have raised their concerns regarding salary cuts but were told to leave if they had complaints.
“We started receiving calls after Christmas that there is no more work and that we should meet at UN Plaza on 3 January 2022.”
“I have children to feed, and school is about to start. My contract was supposed to end by mid-year only, according to the the contract I signed last year,” another worker stressed. The workers are appealing to the labour ministry to step in regarding the lay off and how they should be compensated fairly.
The workers further said the company does not want them to involve any union representatives. The workers are expecting to get paid by Friday, according to the contracts they signed.
US Embassy spokesperson and acting deputy chief in mission, Walter Parrs, yesterday confirmed that BL Harbert International, the company leading the new US Embassy construction, recently ended the employment of some employees through non-renewal of contracts.
The turnover in the construction industry is common, and the number of employees required on a construction site varies at different stages of the project, he said.
“Each employee whose contract was not renewed received their full pay through the end of their contract which, in some cases, is months in the future,” he added.
Parrs added that in accordance with Namibian labour law, BL Harbert International requested, but did not require, employees whose contracts were not renewed to sign end of contract documentation.
BL Harbert International informed each employee that they had the option to not sign, he said. All employees at the embassy construction project were paid on time and correctly and allegations indicating otherwise are unfounded, Parrs revealed.
BL Harbert International agreed to extend the December pay period in order to provide employees with more take-home pay during the festive season, he added. All employees received their full wages and end-of-year benefits, Parrs said.
“The US Embassy is proud of the construction team building the new US Embassy, which includes the team of women and men, Americans, over 700 Namibians, and worker of other nationalities. Thanks to this team, the project is ahead of schedule and has a safety record that surpasses US construction-industry standards.
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