Staff backlog to be filled
2006-08-17
Susan Botha
THE Drakenstein Municipality is to take urgent steps to address its huge staffing backlog which is affecting service delivery.
At the Mayoral Committee meeting last week it was reported that the Municipality has about 600 vacant posts, 300 of which are budgeted for. The other posts are unfunded at this stage.
The Municipal Manager, Dr Sidima Kabanyane, tabled a report at the last meeting of the Mayoral Committee, analysing the impact on service delivery and the need to fill the posts.
Dr Kabanyane said the overtime budget of Drakenstein was R7,2 million as a result of the continuously unfunded vacant posts on the structure, which have been increasing over the last five years as a result of budget constraints.
This had led to service backlogs, and required huge amounts of funding to address the vacancies.
The position was further aggravated by the reduction of working hours from a 45-hour work week to a 40-hour work week.
In some instances this required an 11% increase in posts, which were not all funded. Hence it became increasingly difficult to budget within the parameters set, Kabanyane said.
“With the overtime policy now in place, staff may no longer exceed the limit of working hours and more posts will have to be filled, fast.”
The rate of appointments has been further affected by annual labour unrest due to wage negotiations and deadlocks that extended over two to six month periods at times.
Another contributing factor has been Samwu’s dispute around the filling of the senior personnel practitioner’s post, which was declared last June.
Dr Kabanyane recommended that all current vacant funded and unfunded posts need to be assessed by means of a proper organisational workstudy.
Mayor Charmaine Manuel, supported by Councillor Arthob Petersen, said however that certain posts needed to be filled swiftly, within the financial constraints.
The Human Resources Department agreed that most of the funded posts could be filled withing three months.A work study will be done on the rest of the vacant posts to be considered at the midyear budget review in January.
The Civil Engineering Department has the greatest need, with 114 funded vacant posts, of which 61 are worker's posts.
According to the microstructure for Drakenstein Municipality (to cater
for the amalgamation of Paarl, Wellington, Saron, Gouda, Hermon and rural areas,) 794 posts were allowed for Civil Engineering, to address service delivery requirements.
It was intended that the filling of posts and the associated budgetary provision be phased in as soon as possible, in order to provide required service levels. But four years after amalgamation, there is still a shortfall of 106 unfunded posts.
“It should further be noted that the organogram was based on needs at the time, and further developments, especially in housing and extension of basic service delivery to previously disadvantaged communities, have resulted in the service sections not being able to meet increased current demands,” Kabanyane said.
The Community Services Department (including libraries and swimming pools) has 89 funded vacancies and 147 unfunded posts.
Because the department provides a broad spectrum of services, these vacancies cannot just be scrapped.
A serious attempt has been made to restructure the seasonal appointments at the swimming pools and holiday resorts to reduce payment of overtime to these workers.
The Department of Planning has 20 funded vacant posts and a further nine unfunded ones. More posts need to be approved by Council for adequate service delivery needs.
The Informal Settlement Unit was not budgeted for, due to cuts to come in line with the salary budget. This consists of approximately another 12 posts which do not feature on the current organogram.
The vacant posts do not only have a major negative impact on service delivery, but also result in a loss of revenue for the Council, because property tax is lost by delays in building projects.
“Electricity has 33 funded vacant posts. This section has sacrificed the most posts this year to be within budget, but with growing needs of Local Economic Development for extra housing, these staff members will suffer burnout and their overtime budget will increase substantially.”
The Finance Department has 22 funded vacancies, of which three A level posts has veen vacant since May 2005 in the salary section.
“Seven are new posts to assist with capacity because of the exit of many years’ expertise, which cannot be replaced overnight.”
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