Written warnings for hotel staff
Attorney accuses paper of bias, threatens legal action
IMPERIAL Hotel management has allegedly given some staff final written warnings, apparently instructed housekeeping to clean a bathroom flooded with human excrement and told workers they would not receive full pay.
This comes after some workers put up a fight against what they deemed poor working conditions, racial discrimination and unfair labour practices.
Last week the Sunday Tribune reported that the three-star Pietermaritzburg hotel, operated by Misty Blue Hotels and owned by Durban businessman Vejan Pillay, allegedly had a leaking roof, a lift that has not functioned in three years, broken
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Workers told the Sunday Tribune that the hotel boss had short-paid them, cut working hours without proper consultation and that they struggled to make ends meet with average salaries of R1000.
This week, workers claimed that a member of management arrived at the hotel with final written warnings for all staff who had embarked on a two-day strike last month over wages and unfavourable working conditions.
During the strike, workers affiliated with the National Union of Civil and Allied Workers were allegedly locked out by the employer. Staff then terminated the union’s services.
At the time, management claimed that staff did not adhere to picketing rules and the letters handed out this week were a disciplinary measure.
“After threatening us with final written warnings, they forced a fellow employee to clean up the bathroom in room 144 which was flooded with faeces. That is unacceptable, the hotel should hire those trained with proper protective gear to clean that,” said the worker. “If we broke picketing rules why are they only dealing with that now? Their timing is questionable.”
The worker added that most employees did not refuse to sign the warning letters, but they requested an opportunity to consult a legal advisor. A hotel management representative had apparently refused.
“He then proceeded to check the attendance register and informed them that days without any signatures would not be paid for. We are being victimised again. There’s a clocking system at the gate and we use our fingers to sign in. When we get to our departments we also sign time sheets. There is no need to sign the register.”
Another worker claimed that the warning letters were a scare tactic by the bosses and that no due process had been followed.
“The letters were punishment for disclosure of managements’ shenanigans,” said the worker.
Attorney Tashya Giyapersad responded to allegations on behalf of the hotel saying the disgruntled employees had not approached the CCMA or her client to address any issues prior to embarking on a strike.
On the uncertainty of salaries, Giyapersad said workers were diligently paid for hours worked weekly or monthly. She said staff had been placed on short time
December and January.
“This was done with notice to the unions and is often used as an alternative to retrenchment and to secure job continuity,” she said.
Giyapersad said there was nothing out of the ordinary with the request for staff members to clean up the bathroom in room 144.
“If bathrooms contain faecal matter, any adverse bodily fluids and the like, then as in the ordinary course of business, cleaning is done by each crew allocated to the time to that relevant area of the hotel.”
The attorney accused the Sunday Tribune of bias saying the investigation of the matter was one-sided and “in favour of a particular group of individuals”. She threatened legal action should the article be published. only during