News of retrenchments rocks disabled workers
Association staff, some with 40 years’ service, affected by losses
The closure of the industrial department at the Association for Persons with Disabilities in Nelson Mandela Bay has caused massive stress for the 20 employees who were retrenched on Friday – some of whom had been working at the association for 40 years.
The department had reportedly been running at an accumulated loss of R1m over a period of seven years.
Elizabeth Kosi, who has worked at the association since 1978, said she had been told on Friday not to return to work on Monday.
Kosi and the 19 other employees had been providing low-skilled labour services at the association to businesses in the metro.
Speaking at the association’s premises in Port Elizabeth on Monday, the workers said they believed the dismissals were unfair.
“On Friday, they gave us an envelope that said ‘letter of retrenchment’, but we refused to accept it,” Kosi said.
“How can they just tell us one day, ‘you must not come work here anymore’.”
Association for Persons with Disabilities executive director Brian Bezuidenhout said the department’s closure was effective from February 1.
He said he was saddened by the closure, but it was necessary to keep the other departments running.
Legal proceedings regarding the retrenchments had started in April 2018.
“We followed legal processes and, since last year, the workers were informed that retrenchment was imminent.
“As per the law, and I am not an expert, you can’t give notice of a retrenchment – it has to be announced.
“We announced it on Friday,” Bezuidenhout said.
“The poor economic climate and the lack of local and national government support have resulted in this department experiencing extensive losses over a number of years.
“We have now reached a point where we can no longer sustain this service without compromising the other job creation services that we offer to persons with disabilities.”
Another employee, Cynthia Matiwana, said while management had told them they were being dismissed because the department was no longer making money, the workers’ struggles with management had escalated following the implementation of the minimum wage earlier in 2019.
“Me and some others started working here in 1986 when we were strong and young.
“Now we are old, they want to get rid of us,” she said.
“Since the government said workers must get R20 [an hour], they say there is no more money.”
While the retrenchment process has been finalised, Bezuidenhout said the association was determined to assist the employees.
He said it had presented a co-operative model to the 20 employees as an alternative, following the termination of their services.
The proposed model would have ensured the group retained the use of all the association’s on-site facilities and the existing client base, coupled with mentorship, for a period of six months.
“Nobody has yet accepted the alternative offer,” Bezuidenhout said.
Kosi and Matiwana said the workers were not interested in the offer of forming co-operatives as there was no guaranteed income.
“We are workers. We have no knowledge of starting businesses,” Kosi said.
The workers have approached local members of the EFF for assistance.
The party’s Khanya Ngqisha, on behalf of the workers, had a meeting with Bezuidenhout.
Ngqisha said afterwards that the association had until Wednesday to provide documents to support its claims that the department was running at a loss.
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