Buffalo City Metro employees who received salary increases of up to 400% after being seconded to senior positions may be forced to pay back the money.
This is one of the demands contained in a memorandum drafted by disgruntled South African Municipal Workers Union members to be tabled at a council meeting today.
A Daily Dispatch exposé last month revealed that several BCM workers, including Samwu shop stewards, had received huge salary increases of up to 400% after being seconded to senior positions in the past two years.
The Dispatch at the time knew of 15 cases, including that of four senior managers. That number has since increased to 43.
In the memo that was drafted by Vuyani Kleinbooi and Vuyiswa Ndunyana and addressed to council speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele, the workers want the council to reverse all the secondments, to advertise all vacant posts, and all the affected employees to “negotiate paying back the money”.
The memo was signed by more than 1000 BCM workers.
They also want the council to refer the case to the Public Protector, to investigate whether the appointees met the basic requirements for the positions they were acting in, and whether municipal policies were followed.
In her report, Simon-Ndzele confirms receiving the memo on May 29 in the presence of mayoral committee member, Thembisa Zantsi.
The speaker proposes that the institution ask the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department to investigate whether it was proper for the municipality to second so many Samwu leaders, and also if policy on staff provisioning was properly followed.
She has also recommended that the department should “assess salaries paid to seconded staff members”.
The Dispatch revealed previously that among those who benefited from the windfall were Samwu shop stewards Zolani Ndlela, Jongani Mbiko and Oscar Mankosi, as well as the union’s former shop steward, William Sincayi.
Ndlela was a general worker and Mbiko a supervisor. They now act as programme managers for promotions.
Ndlela’s salary jumped from R8500 to R31600 a month, and Mbiko’s increased from R8500 to R47000. Sincayi’s pay increased by R40000 a month after being seconded to a senior position in the municipality.
The increases took place between December 2013 and the beginning of this year.
Asked at the time whether proper processes were followed when the secondments were effected, BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said everything was above board. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
BCM workers may have to pay back massive pay rises
This is one of the demands contained in a memorandum drafted by disgruntled South African Municipal Workers Union members to be tabled at a council meeting today.
A Daily Dispatch exposé last month revealed that several BCM workers, including Samwu shop stewards, had received huge salary increases of up to 400% after being seconded to senior positions in the past two years.
The Dispatch at the time knew of 15 cases, including that of four senior managers. That number has since increased to 43.
In the memo that was drafted by Vuyani Kleinbooi and Vuyiswa Ndunyana and addressed to council speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele, the workers want the council to reverse all the secondments, to advertise all vacant posts, and all the affected employees to “negotiate paying back the money”.
The memo was signed by more than 1000 BCM workers.
They also want the council to refer the case to the Public Protector, to investigate whether the appointees met the basic requirements for the positions they were acting in, and whether municipal policies were followed.
In her report, Simon-Ndzele confirms receiving the memo on May 29 in the presence of mayoral committee member, Thembisa Zantsi.
The speaker proposes that the institution ask the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department to investigate whether it was proper for the municipality to second so many Samwu leaders, and also if policy on staff provisioning was properly followed.
She has also recommended that the department should “assess salaries paid to seconded staff members”.
The Dispatch revealed previously that among those who benefited from the windfall were Samwu shop stewards Zolani Ndlela, Jongani Mbiko and Oscar Mankosi, as well as the union’s former shop steward, William Sincayi.
Ndlela was a general worker and Mbiko a supervisor. They now act as programme managers for promotions.
Ndlela’s salary jumped from R8500 to R31600 a month, and Mbiko’s increased from R8500 to R47000. Sincayi’s pay increased by R40000 a month after being seconded to a senior position in the municipality.
The increases took place between December 2013 and the beginning of this year.
Asked at the time whether proper processes were followed when the secondments were effected, BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said everything was above board. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
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