The United Workers Federation (FTU) is calling on authorities regarding the current situation of workers’ rights in the private sector.
Atma Shanto asserts that there is a decline in job quality and an abuse in the use of surveillance cameras.
He also laments that some employers refuse to negotiate on salaries, justifying it by citing a salary compensation and an increase in the minimum wage.
Shanto specifies that complaints have been lodged with the Ministry of Labour and the police on several occasions, but no action has been taken. “Today, there is a major issue with enforcement at the Ministry of Labour. There are laws in place to protect workers, but they are not being applied when abuses are reported,” he says.
According to the FTU spokesperson, the authorities have failed in their responsibilities, especially at the Ministry of Labour.
“I have raised the alarm several times. It is very rare for a case to be transferred to the Industrial Court. And even then, it takes three to five years,” he protests. He adds that closures and layoffs continue in the country.
Shanto also criticizes employers who, in his opinion, wield workers’ rights as they see fit. “There is a hotel, namely Club Med, which has chosen to close the establishment during the month of June due to low occupancy and renovations.
Employees will receive their regular salaries, but their annual leaves will be deducted. However, annual leave belongs to the workers. It is they who should decide when they want to take it, not the employer,” he says.
Shanto denounces the government’s move to make changes to labor laws through the Finance Bill. “There have been changes to annual leave, for example, which will now be accumulated, like sick leave, without any debate on the matter.
They took advantage of the Finance Bill to pass these amendments quietly. The same goes for conditions regarding service in hotels during cyclones,” he points out. Shanto also speaks out against the situation at Newrest Mauritius.
In his view, metal detectors are used on employees by the security service, which could be potentially dangerous for pregnant women. “In the same company, employees must deposit their cell phones with security before starting work,” he argues.
According to the union representative, there was recently a person whose father had passed away; her family tried to reach her throughout the day to inform her, without success. “It was only after work that she learned of her father’s passing,” Shanto adds.
Furthermore, the union representative strongly denounces the abusive use of surveillance cameras in companies. He believes that the Ministry of Technology should establish guidelines for this purpose.
“To this day, there are no guidelines, and employers place cameras wherever they want. With technology, they can even monitor employees from their cell phones when they are at home. This is unacceptable. It is also unfortunate that the Data Protection Office does not react to this issue,” he notes.
A recent trend is the refusal of some employers to engage in negotiations for wage revisions.
“They argue that the minimum wage has already increased and there has also been wage compensation. However, these two elements have nothing to do with wage revisions included in collective bargaining agreements.” He urges the Ministry of Labour to respond.
Shanto also laments the fact that the legislation concerning the 2024 salary compensation was published late.
“This means that some employees did not receive compensation in January. The Prime Minister should reprimand his Minister of Labour for this,” he suggests.
The FTU also denounces employers who ask their staff to work more because the minimum wage has been raised. He regrets that for some, workers have become just a mere “production tool.”
Source: Le Mauricien
