Bay health officers tell of humiliation following demotion

TWO Nelson Mandela Bay municipal environmental health officers have told of their pain suffered at the hands of the city when they were stripped of their rank as senior environmental officers in December 2013.

The women, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, were demoted along with 23 other environmental health officers as part of the Tuned Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (Task) programme.

On Tuesday, South African Bargaining Council commissioner Henk Jacobs ruled that the municipality should pay all employees involved R15 000 by the end of next month.

Jacobs also ruled that the demoted employees should be reinstated to their correct ranking.

But corporate services executive director Vuyo Zitumane said yesterday the municipality would review the judgment.

Health officers in the city’s public health department monitor diseases, ensure that companies comply with safety regulations and work to prevent outbreaks in the Bay.

One of the women said she had already had five years’ experience when she joined the metro, which meant she would practice as a senior health officer.

The next ranking is the higher position of principal health officer, for which the employees had to apply.

But the two women claim that in 2013, when Task was implemented, more than 20 years’ experience were reduced to zero, and they were placed in entry-level positions.

This also meant they lost a portion of their salaries and benefits.

The two women said they could not apply for senior jobs anywhere else because of this.

“We followed the grievances process, but our unions were not interested in helping us.

“When the final demotion letter came, no one was willing to help,” the second woman said.

“Our career paths have been messed up.

“This stood in the way of our progress because we were seen as juniors and could not apply for jobs as seniors.”

All 25 environmental health officers were represented by Advocate Coen de Kock, of Cape Town.

The woman’s colleague, who had a total of 15 years’ experience under her belt, said: “We had worked so hard for all this experience and it was ripped from under us as we now worked on the same level as entry staff. We were demoralised.

“This was never about the money, but the work we had put in to build [our] confidence and to be taken seriously as seniors,” she said.

Samwu regional secretary Mqondisi Nodongwe declined to comment, saying this was the first he had heard of the case.

Imatu regional manager Churchill Motapo also said he knew nothing of the ruling.