Unfair dismissal claims

ALLEGATIONS of racial discrimination against black employees at Menlyn’s Dischem branch have been made by a dismissed employee after she was dismissed last year.

The woman, who requested anonymity for fear of future reprisals, has accused her former manager and another employee of abuse.

The employee, whose name is known to The Star’s sister paper, the Pretoria News, said her problems started when she started standing up for herself and other workers against unfair workplace practices.

She claimed to have been assaulted by one of her male colleagues in October, in what spiralled out of control and then led to her dismissal in November.

“I reported the incident to my manager. He was against the report because it involved his favourite employee and the guy was put on his final warning.

“I then went above my manager and reported the matter to the store manager, and when my manager found out, he told me if the colleague who assaulted me got dismissed he would make sure I went with him.”

Following a hearing into the assault, her colleague was placed on two weeks suspension without pay instead of being dismissed.

“This is despite the policy, violence is immediate dismissal.

“During the assault hearing I was asked why I was angry that someone called me (kaak), and I was told it should not be a big issue because the guy just slapped me,” she said.

She said two weeks after the hearing she was called in for a separate hearing and charged for fraudulent time keeping, and was then dismissed with immediate effect.

“They charged me for fraudulent time keeping for going out without clocking. I was dismissed having no record of any warning. I worked for eight years without warning and they dismiss me for such.”

She said her manager told her she had started something she would not be able to finish, even if she approached the CCMA. “I made sure to record the hearing, during which I reminded them the manager called black people cockroaches.”

She said she is not the only one who received unsettling treatment from her white manager.

And while the store, and their headquarters did not respond to queries on the incident and allegations over three days, the dismissed worker said her former manager had been moved from Menlyn Dis-Chem to another store.

“After my dismissal I wrote a letter to Dis-Chem's head office stating my grievances, but my letter and emails have not been responded to.”

She has approached the CCMA, where the case is receiving attention.