Fenaka Corporation Managing Director Mohamed Afeef stated that an unusually high number of employees have been employed at Fenaka during past governments and that sometimes, promotions and salary increments were given out to employees who have no interest in work and instead waste time at coffee shops.
During an interview he gave to Mihaaru News on Tuesday, Afeef said that Fenaka has 8,000 employees that they have to pay salaries to. He said that these include employees who worked and stayed at other islands from various age groups. MD Afeef also said that Fenaka does not have the financial status to operate at capacity while having that many employees.
"Many people have been employed in the name of running projects. Some have been given permanent positions while others have not. There are some employees at power stations and Fenaka branches who do not have to sign in to work," said the MD, who was appointed to the position on April 27.
"Employees have been employed under projects for the development of power stations in some islands. And they do not have to clock in as they are unable to work due to a lack of materials."
According to Afeef, salaries are being given at Fenaka branches after they mark "some form of attendance" by the time the month ends.
As per Afeef, while many employees who have been employed for project purposes at some branches do not have to sign in, what employees at other branches only do is sign in when they do not have any work to be done. He said that such employees do their own personal work and that there are some employees who engage in unsatisfactory acts.
I would like to highlight that at certain branches, employees have signed in to work and have gone fishing, amongst other unsatisfactory acts.Managing Director of Fenaka Mohamed Afeef
Afeef went on to say that after taking all of the information into account, Fenaka is working to bring about the necessary reforms, which includes meeting with and speaking to certain employees.
No career progress for older technical staff
Afeef stated that while Fenaka has employed so many employees and have given promotion to more recent hires, there are technical staff who have spent a much longer time at the company who have not been given any sort of career progression.
Employees who worked at power stations run by STELCO and at some power stations run by residents of islands before Fenaka was created were employed to Fenaka once the company was created and once the power stations were handed over to the company.
"There are staff who have served very well that we have brought on. Employees such as those who go on duty at power stations, take readings, who work at customer service counters or staff who allocate salaries. Or even employees who go to their customers for electrical work, who work on electrical cables, who overhaul electricity generators, these are the employees that are needed to operate power stations," said Afeef in detail.
"Technical and administrative staff are needed to offer water and sewerage services."
Afeef highlighted that such employees have not seen any career progression nor any increment to their salary.
As Afeef stated, certain employees have been hired through connections or through influence, with them being given positions above employees who have served well. Such hires simply sign in and go to coffee shops even when they do not have any work to do, are given promotions, said Afeef.
As this is what has happened in the past, Afeef said that long-serving employees have expressed concern and sadness.
