Dear ISA Members
An emergency BLRF meeting was held yesterday. This was a follow up from the last meeting where the employer gave information about the implementation of the reward and remuneration project. The Chief Financial Officer divulged his master plan proposal for the implementation. This was to be presented to the Board for approval at last Thursday’s (19/11/2015) meeting.
The information that was presented included the new scales for Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians. It was said that the new scales for the technical staff almost align with DPSA scales and the idea was that full migration to DPSA will happen in the future. The new salary scales proposed from 1 April 2015 for Management and Support staff that were removed remains and align with DPSA. Those that are above the grade, would not get increases fixed to salary but rather a once off exgratia payment linked to inflation. This would mean that their salary notch would not increase. There will be no downgrades of posts or salary but when the staff vacates the post, it will be re-advertised at the correct level.
The finality of it all was that the Board approved the new salary scales for technologists and technicians and the salary scales proposed from 1 April 2015 for the general workers remain the same.
The employer said that the back pay of 50% will be included in the November 2015 pay run. Members must note that the back pay is not exactly 50% payment. The period from 1 April 2015 to November 2015 is eight months and staff have therefore been given the 50% back pay on 8/12. The remaining months will be paid on a month to month basis until March 2016.
On Saturday morning, payroll entered the new salary scales on the system and this was available to all staff who have access to the system. The technical staff were up in arms as they have noticed that staff with little or no service was given increases and back pay whilst those with long service have not. This created a lot of animosity amongst staff and emails were flying to the unions and the employer.
The employer acknowledged that because of the time frames, and rushed process, the proficiency was not done on the medical technologists and medical technicians and that is why some junior staff got increases and the senior staff did not. The CFO explained that the junior staff that was not on the minimum of the grade was brought up to par and the senior staff on the same grade or a grade higer was already within the scale, hence no back pay or increase in salary. This does not mean that they are not due for an increase as the proficiency is still not done. The proficiency, depending on years of service and other criteria, would have pushed senior medical technologists to a new grade and hence a new salary scale and they would have been advantaged in this reward and remuneration process. Unfortunately this did not happen.
Unions yesterday made the following request to the employer:
- The proficiency should be done as a matter of urgency. A time frame of one week was given.
- The salaries of affected individuals be adjusted and backdates as a lump sum of 50% in December 2015.
- A joint communication to be sent off to all staff.
ISA hopes that the employer will do right by their workers and do a proper job and implement immediately. We feel that the employer should now put the salary scales in the public domain and that there should be a Salary Grievance Hotline or email address and a committee set aside to deal with such. Also, that the employer sends letters to all employees clearly outlining the packages and their translation to the new salary scales.
D Band News
The employer said that they intended to implement the additional 1.5% salary increase (to make up the 7% salary increase as per the signed wage negotiation agreement) for the D bands on CTC but in yesterday’s meeting it was said that the Board did not approve this as yet and the matter has been put on hold until the next Board meeting.
Appeal to members
ISA appeals to members to be patient as we can see from the outcome that rushed processes are fallible. Please don’t send letters to managers or the unions as yet but wait for the process to unfold in December 2015. Thereafter, if you are still aggrieved you can contact ISA and if there is a committee or special grievance email address, please contact these.