BCM slashes lifeguards’ job period from 8 months to 2
THIRTY-SIX lifeguards who applied to keep Buffalo City Metro beaches safe this summer served their last day yesterday after BCM slashed their contracts to only two months.
One of the lifeguards, James William, speaking yesterday with 20 lifeguards standing by his side, said they were called in by BCM on December 8 to sign their contracts and were informed the contracts were no longer for the almost eight months as advertised, but for two months.
At the end of December, BCM community service head Helen Neale-May told the Dispatch she was not aware of the change to the contracts and suggested there might have been a misunderstanding from BCM’s human resources (HR) department as seasonal lifeguards were employed for the months stated in the job advert.
Lifeguards say when they asked who had changed the contracts, a Mrs A Jarvis from HR told them that she did not know how the contract periods were changed.
“We were called in the beginning of December by HR to sign the contracts. To our surprise they stated that the work period had been shortened to two months.
“So we signed because we were told to take the job or leave it. We felt forced to sign,” William said.
William and his group said they then approached management who told them that BCM could not afford to pay lifeguards and there had been an “error” in the advertisement.
The job is advertised on the BCM website, and the period is from December 10 2016 to July 31 2017 – 10 days short of eight months. It is signed by acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana. The lifeguards say they also sent a letter to Ncunyana, but he did not reply.
On January 17, three lifeguards were elected to meet with NealeMay and she promised to follow up with HR. At the meeting, lifeguards say May told them her head of department had informed her that the contracts were for two months.
Lifeguard Mthokozisi Shobede said lifeguards came as far as Cape Town and Durban for the work and they were disappointed with losing four months.
“We are not fighting with BCM, we just want to work. We worked long, hard hours during the festive season. Some of us came from very far and now we will have to go back home and sit unemployed.
“We missed out on other opportunities and vacancies thinking we would be here for six months. Most of us are breadwinners at home and have families,” Shobede said.
When the Dispatch tried to contact Neale-May yesterday, she was in a council meeting.
Ncunyana could not be reached. —