Meat row at top veg eatery
Fired employee insists she only prepared sweetmeats
THE International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskon) has been ordered to reinstate an employee who was fired for allegedly selling meat at its popular vegetarian-only Govinda’s restaurant – while she was not even there.
The attorney for Lucy Vardarajaloo claims Iskon not only failed to pitch at an arbitration hearing, but was now ignoring the order that she be reinstated and get backpay.
The society, however, said it planned to apply to have the order rescinded, claiming they were not notified of the hearing.
Vardarajaloo, 50, had worked at Govinda’s, at Iskon’s temple premises in Chatsworth, for 13 years, earning R3600 a month preparing sweetmeats.
The Sai devotee said she was accused of selling meat in June, despite not even being at work.
“I took leave from June 17 to 27 for my granddaughter’s christening and when I returned to work, the manager told me I was spotted selling meat to another colleague at the premises on June 22 and was suspended,” she said. “I was not even at work and when I asked for proof, I was not provided with any.”
Vardarajaloo said an internal hearing was held in July and she was dismissed in August.
After hiring attorney Sandy Pillay, mediation with her former employer was held on September 1.
“All parties sat for mediation but could not come to an agreement or settle, so the matter was set down for arbitration on November 4,” she said.
But Iskon failed to attend the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) hearing and an order was obtained stating she should be paid R13200 and be reinstated within three days, she said.
The CCMA found that the dismissal was “substantially unfair” as Vardarajaloo had not committed the misconduct alleged.
When Vardarajaloo approached the restaurant on December 4, they allegedly refused to take her back so she had the order served on her employer by the court sheriff on December 19.
“As it stands, (Iskon) is in breach of a CCMA order and after the festive season, we will approach the CCMA again for further relief,” said Pillay. “If the need arises, we will take the matter to the High Court, seeking punitive damages and reinstatement as per the CCMA order.”
For now, Vardarajaloo is jobless.
“I have been collecting UIF but what happens after this? I won’t be able to make ends meet,” she said.
The Savannah Park resident said her name had been “dragged through the gutter”, especially after a Govinda’s customer lambasted her for being deceitful.
“While shopping last week, a woman lashed out at me because she purchased food I prepared at the temple. My reputation and name is being dragged through the gutter and I must clear my name,” said the widowed mother of four. “If I am reinstated, people will see I was wronged and will gain respect for me again.”
Iskon’s communications manager in Durban, Krsangi Radhe Dasi, told POST they would take the matter further because Vardarajaloo was granted the award by default and that they had only been made aware of the order “when the sheriff arrived at the temple last week”.
“We were not notified of the arbitration hearing. Even with the mediation, we were only notified a day prior to the hearing and this was raised at the mediation… It was found that they (the CCMA) had the wrong e-mail address but we provided them with the right one on the same day and still did not receive notification about the arbitration. So the judgment was granted by default,” said Krsangi.
She said the dispute between the employee and Iskon did not affect the temple.