Serena fires 21 employees

by Nyamanoko Bwire, Happy Lazaro and Staff Writer

About 20 employees of Serena Hotels in Arusha have claimed that the local Serena Management has fired them after they resisted to use food plates also used by dogs.

But letters of termination given to some of the employees by the management say that they had to be relieved of their duties in order to reduce the company’s operational costs.

Among the fired staff is the Chairman of the Company’s branch of Conservation, Hotels and Domestic Workers Union (CHODAWU), John Laizer Ole Moloimet and his secretary, Issa Hussein.

Ole Moloimet, who led the procession of sacked Serena employees who came to the Arusha Times offices to report the matter last Monday said the problem started in May this year.

According to the Serena trade union leader, the employees serving in the central storage (CSA) department, discovered that the plates on which their meals were being served, were also the same plates that the company dogs were feeding from.

"We complained to the department manager, Khilian Shah but he replied by saying that the dogs were also valuable!" claimed Laizer.

The workers, also lamented that the management was to pay them only one month’s salary despite the fact that, most of them had worked for many years.

The Serena employees wrote to the District Commissioner, Fulgence Saria, a move which allegedly coaxed drastic measures from Mr. Khan.

The employees later wrote to the Regional Commissioner but according to the CHODAWU branch leader, even that effort was not yet fruitful.

"On the 20^th of May, Khan announced to us that the Serena national director, Salim Jan Mohammed was coming and that he was going to sack all of us".

This however, never happened until Thursday, the 16^th of October when the workers got their official dismissal letters, with reference number; CHD/AR/MIK/27, requesting them to leave immediately.

The Serena deputy Human Resources manager, Brenda Akello refused to comment on the issue saying she wasn’t the company spokesman.

Akello added that, the Serena country manager, Jan Mohammed was also away and he was to return in about 14 days.

She however, admitted that the workers have indeed been dismissed, claiming that, they had received a go ahead to do so, from the "Ministry".

Regional Labour Officer, Raphael Milinga, was also not available to comment on the issue but the regional labour office inspector, Hadija Heris said she has not yet heard about the matter.

Last modified: October 23, 2003.
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