Unfair dismissal?

What might have looked like an unfair dismissal to a regular customer was in fact legal and just action taken by Fern Ridge shopping centre security management.

Parking assistants at the Fern Ridge shopping centre were given less than three days’ notice before their employment was terminated.

“Our boss just fired us without any reason. We were told on 26 February that 28 February was our last day. This had given us no chance or time to find another job. I have been working here for five years. I have a two-year-old daughter and need the job to take care of my family,” said parking assistant Cedrick Mawega.

Another parking assistant Owencuma Nyamugusha said, “It was unfair of the management to fire us the way they did. They claim that we are behind all the theft of items in the vehicles we attend to, but that is not true. In all the eight years I worked as a parking assistant at the centre I have never stolen.”

Nyamugusha believes the theft began in 2013 when new security guards were hired. “One of the [other] security guards has been bad mouthing us, and framed us for the crimes that his colleagues have probably committed.”

A Randburg resident and regular customer at the centre, Yolandie van Nirkerk sympathises with the parking assistants. “I do not think they were fairly dismissed. There has to be some law against this. These people make a living from the tips they receive and barely get any income from the management of the centre. How else will they survive?”

In response, the centre’s head of security Johan De Bruyn explained that the parking assistants were not employed by the centre, but simply provided a service to help customers park their cars and help them unload their trolleys.

“The reason we told them 28 February would be their last day is because we had been receiving complaints from the customers at the centre about their valuables being stolen out of their cars, possibly by the parking assistants. Our main priority is our customers. We care about their safety, and do everything in our power to protect them and their valuables. The matter has been under serious investigation to find the suspects that have been stealing from our customers. In the meantime we have new parking assistants that we trust,” de Bruyn said.

De Bruyn stated the new parking assistants are well-trained and in an effort to create a safe environment and protect the community, the centre has also ensured they hired security guards who are qualified, licensed and have no criminal records.

Details: Fern Ridge Shopping Centre 086 199 9118.