Allexer Namundjembo
Interpack chief executive officer Jacques Coetzer has denied claims that the company failed to pay employees their full basic salaries and overtime.
He said all workers were paid in full and that there were no outstanding payment issues.
Coetzer said the company employs more than 440 workers and only received queries from two employees about their specific hours worked.
He said the concerns were reported to the Human Resources department and were resolved.
“All employees were paid in full without any problems or challenges. The two minor issues that were reported to HR were resolved, and we are not aware of any other outstanding issues,” Coetzer said.
He said Interpack values its employees and is committed to fair and transparent treatment in line with the Labour Act.
Some employees, however, accused the company of failing to pay overtime and full basic salaries.
Anonymous sources said management had also promised performance bonuses, which they claim were not paid.
“We thought we would get bonuses, but some of us did not. Also, we did not receive our full basic salaries. We enquired from management, but nothing happened,” one source told the Windhoek Observer on Monday.
During a follow-up on Thursday, some workers said the matter was still unresolved.
“We have been approaching management, but there has been no solution. Maybe they will pay our outstanding funds today,” another source said.
The affected employees said the situation has placed them under financial pressure, especially with schools preparing to reopen.
“It is unfortunate. We thought it was an error that would be solved, but nothing happened. We remain hopeful that the company will rectify the situation so we can buy stationery for our children,” the sources said.
Coetzer maintained that all reported concerns had been addressed and said the company is not aware of any unresolved payment issues.
Last year, Interpack, a non-alcoholic beverage manufacturer and distributor, acknowledged that some employees were underpaid due to a payroll miscalculation by the human resources department. The issue affected staff who said they received only partial salaries.
“We were paid less. It seems like they calculated only the number of days we worked and ignored our basic salaries,” one employee told the Windhoek Observer at the time.
Former employees also alleged unfair dismissals and claimed some workers were dismissed without formal disciplinary hearings.
“When I was there, we worked long hours, and some of us got fired without even attending a hearing,” one source said.
Interpack management previously confirmed the payroll error and said corrective steps were already underway before media enquiries.
“Yes, we were aware of the issue. We were already working on correcting the error by Friday last week,” a company representative said at the time.
Management denied claims of unfair dismissals and said affected workers were treated with dignity and paid their outstanding amounts, adding that the matter had been settled.
