A Carrefour employee, who recently spoke out against the injustices and poor working conditions at the company’s hypermarket located at Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi, has been sacked by its parent company, Majid Al Futtaim Limited.
Byron Makokha, who worked at the hypermarket, recently exposed what he described as an intimidating and frustrating work environment, where he claimed junior staff were constantly intimidated, frustrated, and insulted by their supervisors.
But instead of addressing the issue, Carrefour’s parent company, Majid Al Futtaim Limited, dismissed Makokha for “gross misconduct.”
Makokha wrote to this blog on Thursday, February 2, 2023, detailing the alleged violations of the code of conduct by his line manager, Head of the Department Immanuel Toris, and Supervisor Geoffrey Langat.
He claimed that the two held junior staff in thrall and forced them to worship the ground they walked on for their survival in the company.
Despite his attempts to raise the issue with management, Makokha said that no action was taken.
Data Privacy Violation, Racial Discrimination and Modern Day Slavery By Carrefour Kenya Management
Carrefour responded to Makokha’s allegations with a show-cause letter, accusing him of making unverified claims.
However, Makokha maintained that his revelations were factual and offered a response letter to support his claims.
But the hypermarket was not satisfied with his response and invited him to a disciplinary hearing.
After a disciplinary meeting on February 13, 2022, the committee ruled that Makokha had breached his contractual obligations and the company’s code of ethics, resulting in his dismissal.
The sacking of Makokha is bound to spark outrage among his colleagues who have been calling for action against Carrefour’s management.
The case highlights the importance of workers’ rights and the need for companies to ensure that their employees work in safe and fair conditions.
But notably, Carrefour Kenya’s questionable reputation is not something new.
In the past, employees from their various branches across the country have complained of racial discrimination and slavery-like conditions meted upon them by their unreasonable supervisors.
Data Privacy Violation, Racial Discrimination and Modern Day Slavery By Carrefour Kenya Management
Shockingly, despite endless complaints, Franck Moreau, the Country Manager of Carrefour Kenya, has done little to address the concerns raised.
What is his job if he cannot even handle complaints from staff? He is earning a salary for simply spinning in his office chair for five days a week.
White privilege is real, and it’s evident that it has seeped into the corporate culture of this French retailer.
It’s high time that officials from the labour department and defenders of workers’ rights intervene in this situation.
Makokha is just one victim who was bold enough to speak out; there are hundreds more suffering in silence.
Heads must get rolling!
In the meantime, we encourage more workers at Carrefour Kenya to speak out against these violations and share their harrowing experiences at the hands of their oppressive bosses.
Their voices must be heard and their concerns addressed.
It is time for the top management to take responsibility for their actions.
Carrefour Kenya must be held accountable for its abhorrent treatment of employees, and Franck Moreau must be held responsible for allowing the injustices to continue under his watch.
We urge all workers at Carrefour Kenya to stand together and demand a safer and fairer workplace.
