The future of 83 Buffalo City Metro employees attached to its solid waste management department for 19 years is in limbo as their contracts come to an end next month.
In a report before city council on Wednesday, municipal services former head of department Kholekile Tapile blamed “current financial constraints”.
The move has been lambasted by some councillors, who questioned why the metro had failed to absorb the workers onto the permanent staff complement for more than a decade.
Tapile’s report states that the workers have been with the coastal region for 19 years providing waste management services.
The team of 75 general workers and eight team leaders were needed by the metro for cleaning the area.
However, Tapile reported that the “challenge” facing the absorption of the workers into the system was the “non-availability of budget”.
The regional secretary for South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), Zolani Ndlela, yesterday told the Daily Dispatch they were shocked to know that the contracts were ending in June.
Ndlela claimed the union was never consulted about the job cuts.
“Those are our members and we have been fighting for them for years. This is news to us and we were never consulted. We don’t know that the contract comes to an end in June,” Ndlela said.
The union had reached agreement earlier this year with the municipality to absorb the employees, he added.
“We agreed that the workers would apply for any posts available within the metro and they would be given priority,” Ndlela said.
Councillor Pumla Nazo said it was “really bad” that the municipality had let people work on a contract basis for more than 17 years.
She said: “We took a resolution long ago that all people who are contract workers must be absorbed when posts are available and until now these people have not been considered.”
Because of the disgruntlement of some councillors mayor Alfred Mtsi withdrew the report for further consultation and for a report back to council next month.
Sindiswa Gomba, who said the metro’s handling of the matter was disappointing, said: “People have been doing the work for about 17 to 19 years. It means there is work to do and we need them.
“We find it strange that suddenly their contracts will be terminated.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Outcry over ditched BCM staff: Workers in limbo after 19 years of service
In a report before city council on Wednesday, municipal services former head of department Kholekile Tapile blamed “current financial constraints”.
The move has been lambasted by some councillors, who questioned why the metro had failed to absorb the workers onto the permanent staff complement for more than a decade.
Tapile’s report states that the workers have been with the coastal region for 19 years providing waste management services.
The team of 75 general workers and eight team leaders were needed by the metro for cleaning the area.
However, Tapile reported that the “challenge” facing the absorption of the workers into the system was the “non-availability of budget”.
The regional secretary for South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), Zolani Ndlela, yesterday told the Daily Dispatch they were shocked to know that the contracts were ending in June.
Ndlela claimed the union was never consulted about the job cuts.
“Those are our members and we have been fighting for them for years. This is news to us and we were never consulted. We don’t know that the contract comes to an end in June,” Ndlela said.
The union had reached agreement earlier this year with the municipality to absorb the employees, he added.
“We agreed that the workers would apply for any posts available within the metro and they would be given priority,” Ndlela said.
Councillor Pumla Nazo said it was “really bad” that the municipality had let people work on a contract basis for more than 17 years.
She said: “We took a resolution long ago that all people who are contract workers must be absorbed when posts are available and until now these people have not been considered.”
Because of the disgruntlement of some councillors mayor Alfred Mtsi withdrew the report for further consultation and for a report back to council next month.
Sindiswa Gomba, who said the metro’s handling of the matter was disappointing, said: “People have been doing the work for about 17 to 19 years. It means there is work to do and we need them.
“We find it strange that suddenly their contracts will be terminated.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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