Bhisho and the civil servant unions are still at loggerheads over staffing issues that have dragged at the state since apartheid days.
The provincial health department has made an offer over discrepancies between increases and backpay for civil servants from the former homelands, which were merged to form the Eastern Cape in the 1990s, but the unions have refused.
The Human Resources Operational Processes Team (HROPT) has been a thorn in the sides of all 11 provincial departments for two decades.
There is administrative chaos over thousands of civil servants promoted between 2006 and 2009 and the backpay from 1994 involved.
Nick Ntsoane, human resources department general manager at the health department, said roadshows were held in Port Elizabeth, East London and Mthatha, and surrounding regions, last week.
Ntsoane said they communicated a proposed settlement which stated that staff would not benefit from any further rank promotions.
The jobs of former Ciskei and Transkei staff were standardised under the new democratic dispensation and those who qualified for promotions received increases.
However, civil servants who did not qualify were also paid and departments have had to correct this.
“But … people were short-changed when irregular promotions were reversed,” Ntsoane said.
The settlement is aimed at staff eligible for early retirement, those who choose to stay without HROPT-related promotions, and those who want to challenge the issue.
Ntsoane said: “We are also treating this as a healing process. These are the people we still expect to look after patients.”
He said workers insisted their salaries were put a level higher, as had been done in other departments. However, he said, “two wrongs don’t make a right”.
“We’ve been developing these options since May. all affected parties are meeting ... about whether or not parties are going to sign,” said Ntsoane.
“The time for negotiations, discussions and clarity is over. Parties that don’t come to the venue will be understood as not wanting to sign.
“If we fail to sign, then the process of litigation, which we are avoiding, will kick in,” he said.
Nehawu provincial chairman Makhi Clay said the department had brought nothing new to the table.
“We were part of those meetings ... we are against it as it wants to move away from arbitration.”
Homeland merger staff fiasco still kicking
The provincial health department has made an offer over discrepancies between increases and backpay for civil servants from the former homelands, which were merged to form the Eastern Cape in the 1990s, but the unions have refused.
The Human Resources Operational Processes Team (HROPT) has been a thorn in the sides of all 11 provincial departments for two decades.
There is administrative chaos over thousands of civil servants promoted between 2006 and 2009 and the backpay from 1994 involved.
Nick Ntsoane, human resources department general manager at the health department, said roadshows were held in Port Elizabeth, East London and Mthatha, and surrounding regions, last week.
Ntsoane said they communicated a proposed settlement which stated that staff would not benefit from any further rank promotions.
The jobs of former Ciskei and Transkei staff were standardised under the new democratic dispensation and those who qualified for promotions received increases.
However, civil servants who did not qualify were also paid and departments have had to correct this.
“But … people were short-changed when irregular promotions were reversed,” Ntsoane said.
The settlement is aimed at staff eligible for early retirement, those who choose to stay without HROPT-related promotions, and those who want to challenge the issue.
Ntsoane said: “We are also treating this as a healing process. These are the people we still expect to look after patients.”
He said workers insisted their salaries were put a level higher, as had been done in other departments. However, he said, “two wrongs don’t make a right”.
“We’ve been developing these options since May. all affected parties are meeting ... about whether or not parties are going to sign,” said Ntsoane.
“The time for negotiations, discussions and clarity is over. Parties that don’t come to the venue will be understood as not wanting to sign.
“If we fail to sign, then the process of litigation, which we are avoiding, will kick in,” he said.
Nehawu provincial chairman Makhi Clay said the department had brought nothing new to the table.
“We were part of those meetings ... we are against it as it wants to move away from arbitration.”
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