Hotel Selebi tells pregnant employees to resign
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday January 27, 2017 16:06
One such employee said the director told her to resign because she was heavily pregnant.
“I refused to write such a letter and argued that management should write me such a letter not me because I suspected that it was a plot to get rid of me without paying my dues. As days went by, I was told to go home and only report back to work after delivering my baby,” said a former employee who pleaded anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The former employee said she was later called when the baby was a month old to come to work, but she refused because the baby was still very small.
Upon reporting back from maternity leave she learnt that her position was filled. “I was however paid my salary during my maternity period,” she said. Concerned employees who have been complaining about gross negligence of labour laws indicated that another pregnant employee was also summoned by the director where her fitness was questioned and was also asked to right a resignation letter.
They said they are told that tendering a resignation letter would secure the position at the end of the maternity leave. “Our employment contracts have a clause on maternity, but there is nowhere it says one should write a resignation letter. Workers generally are not happy with the way they are treated by the employer,” said a concerned employee.
Employees also complained of their contracts that are renewed on monthly basis. They further said their salaries are cut without their knowledge and informed that they are paid on hourly rate yet the contracts say they should be receiving fixed salaries.
They further noted that leave days are never paid for when one resigns or is expelled from work and they are forced to apply for leave days before the end of notice so that leave days are depleted. “Those whose contracts end in March this year have received a directive to go on leave and that action will be taken against them if they fail to do so,” one employee said.
They also complained about the use of vulgar language by management and that they once opened bank accounts upon assuming employment, but the accounts were closed down and management started issuing their salaries in envelopes.
During an interview the director Shaikh Mohammed, accompanied by the hotel manager Headman Murangi, denied ever asking anybody to resign on the basis of pregnancy.
“I just had a casual talk with an employee and asked her if she was physically fit to continue working because of the area where she is working. I felt that workplace was not conducive for her condition. I was just asking so that she may apply for leave days if she felt unfit or alternatively redeploy her to safer areas,” he said.
Quizzed on what triggered the talk, Mohammed said there was nothing but just a concern about the danger of the workplace. He denied any salary cuts but maintained that employees are paid on hourly rates. He also denied any contravention of the labour laws saying all contracts that employees enter into are in accordance with the law.
Mohammed noted that they hold general meetings twice a week to accord employees an opportunity to voice out their concerns and have an input on the improvement of the establishment. He acknowledged that employees’ concerns can dent the image and reputation of the hotel, but noted that some issues should be addressed internally.
“We regard our employees as partners and we expect them to come to us if there are any problems. We are open to every employee and our weekly meetings accord them an opportunity to voice their concerns.” Hotel Selebi said they knew nothing about employees having the right to be members of a trade union of their choice.