Millions claimed in backpay

Health salary increases were due in 2016

MORE than 300 provincial health assistants and deputy directors are claiming they are owed millions in backpay dating back to August 2012, which they claim the department of health refuses to pay.

In a petition signed by several health district officials which is addressed to the Eastern Cape legislature, the department is accused of not implementing the salary upgrades due to assistant and deputy directors since 2012. The document states that according to Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) circular no 1 of 2012, all assistant directors posts that qualified were to be upgraded from level nine to 10 and all deputy directors in the department of health were to be upgraded from level 11 to 12.

The document further states that the department of health has refused to implement these upgrades, even though disputes lodged by the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) ordered the department to pay the directors by February 2016.

Provincial department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “There was no job evaluation done on the assistant and deputy directors in those years hence the department cannot pay. The matter is still before arbitration.”

National Public Service Workers’ Union representative Sandla Goqwana told the Saturday Dispatch that the resolution to upgrade the posts had been agreed to at national level in 2012, but the provincial department of health had yet to implement it.

He said a November 2015 arbitration case involving the department and employees, ruled that the department should apply the changes, but the department “remained adamant on not paying the affected assistant and deputy directors. The resolution said that all employees should be evaluated and upgraded, but the department has been dilly-dallying”. Goqwana said the provincial department had initially agreed that the upgrades would be conducted and the salary increases would be paid to assistant and deputy directors in districts in the province, but was now going back on its word.

“We are in the process of lodging a formal grievance against the department.” —