Land Claims staff refuse to move

Staff at the Eastern Cape Rural Development and Land Claims Commission have accused their senior managers of trying to force them to move to new offices owned by the SKG group.

The employees wrote a grievance letter to their managers threatening labour action if they were forced to move to the new Beacon Bay Crossing offices.

This is happening as employees at Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) are being instructed to “give up” and allow their bosses to move them to new offices in the East London CBD, also owned by SKG.

Staff at the Land Claims Commission complain that there was a lack of consultation and no transparency about the new office accommodation.

In a letter, which has been seen by the Dispatch, the staff said the new offices at Beacon Bay Crossing were too small for them.

“The actual needs and concerns raised at our Caxton House building are not being catered for in the specification of the new accommodation in Beacon Bay. We are moving from a bigger office to a smaller office,” reads the letter. It adds that it will be impossible to accommodate all current staff members in the new building.

“For example, the strong room won’t serve the purpose as the capacity is far smaller than the current strong rooms we have. We have more files to move as we are including newly lodged claims.

“The toilet facilities are not big enough for 60 staff members. There are two bathrooms, each with three toilets for between 55 and 60 staff members – how is that possible to accommodate us?” said the source.

But SKG’s Honey Lusu said these were housekeeping issues between staff and their management.

Lusu took the Daily Dispatch on a tour of the new building, showing the space available for the new offices.

“We are doing this according to the specifications. There’s definitely enough room to accommodate the staff as per the plan given to us. They must please deal with their housekeeping issues instead of running to newspapers,” said Lusu.

The new offices for the Land Claims Commission feature a large strong room, partitioned offices, open-plan spaces and a huge office for the unit’s chief director.

The letter further reads: “Despite the space available, which is not enough for current staff, what about the new recruits, the interns?

“If we do not get intervention we are not going to move into the new offices as it is not accommodating our needs.”

The unit’s national spokeswoman, Linda Page, could not be reached for comment.

ECPTA is moving into a “noisy office” in the East London CBD – but apparently there is at least enough parking for staff and visitors.

This week ECPTA CEO Vuyani Dayimani said due to strategic considerations – including a customer-centric approach for effective service delivery, accessibility and visibility – they had chosen the East London CBD building.

“The tender required that the building have 64 parking bays and the appointed service provider met this prerequisite.

“We are moving to the new building by mid-October and are excited about this new chapter,” said Dayimani. — bonganif@

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