An incident involving employees entering a green house that had just been disinfected at a Royal van Zanten nursery in Uganda, has been taken totally out of context by the union, the media and some NGOs. That’s what Managing Director Feico Smit says.
By Arie-Frans Middelburg
afmiddelburg@hortipoint.nl
At a Royal van Zanten branch in Wakiso, the soil had been disinfected with metam sodium. Despite the fact that the area was hermetically sealed and warning signs were put up, dozens of employees entered the greenhouse on the 13th of October.
“The employees came out after half an hour. They had headaches and were nauseous. They were taken to the hospital and one of them had to stay there”, said Smit.
A week later, Royal van Zanten employees at the other nursery in Wakisa, Uganda, entered a greenhouse where they had just used Teldor and two eco-friendly products. The remains of the products were left behind in the greenhouse. Smit: “The two eco-friendly products are so harmless, you could almost eat them and Teldor is also a mild product.”
Smit feels that the incident has now been taken entirely out of its context by the union and some NGOs including a women’s right organisation.
The union might take advantage of the situation because they’re currently negotiating employees’ salaries. “And the NGOs disclosed information, ignoring all protocols. I find it hard to accept that they’re publishing stories that aren’t based on the truth. The media also just published the story without hearing our side of it.”
Sexual harassment
Various African media are now writing that the police is investigating slavery and sexual harassment at nurseries in Uganda. And possibly the workers will start a lawsuit against Royal van Zanten.
According to Henk Jacobs, director Breeding at Royal van Zanten his company has heard nothing about a lawsuit.
A member of Parlement in Holland, Roelof van Laar (PvdA) asked questions about the incidents at the farms of Royal van Zanten in Uganda to Lilianne Ploumen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.
Immidiate dismissal
Smit: “There was an incident at our nurseries which has been blown out of proportion. Sexual harassment is a theme which is regularly discussed by the management and the rule with regards to any occurrences is very clear: immediate dismissal.
Furthermore, we’re never a day late with the salary payments. And with regards to slavery, I don’t know what to say – I love the people here. Royal van Zanten is well known here and is considered a top employer. These false reports are such a shame.”
Henk Jacobs adds that Royal van Zanten regularly consults the other propagation companies and rose farms in Uganda to make agreements on salaries for workers and that Van Zanten respects these agreements. He says that everything is quiet at the farms in Uganda now. ”As far as i know all workers left hospital. Fortunately there hasn’t been found any toxics in the blood of the workers.”
