REVIEW REGRADING PROCESS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES INCLUDING VIP SECURITY STAFF UNDERWAY
The Executive Committee on 16 February 2016, tasked relevant City officials to investigate the delay in the regrading processes looking specifically at the Security Unit. A report finding a quick, amicable solution to the problem will be presented at the next Executive Committee meeting.
This comes after a group of VIP security guards entered the Executive Committee boardroom and asked that their grievances be heard although it was not on the agenda. They claimed the matter had been ongoing for a long time without yielding any results and they wanted their concerns to be addressed.
The guards said they were on a level seven grading and had applied for regrading to no avail.
EThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo told the group that he was aware of the situation which had been delegated to City officials to address.
“We know that other districts are paying their VIP security much more. This is a dangerous situation as our wellbeing is at risk as safety is compromised if your security staff are unhappy. We need to find a solution,” he said.
Zandile Gumede, chairwoman of the Health, Safety and Social Services Committee said as the matter fell under her committee she would be willing to meet with officials and investigate the matter, presenting a report to the Executive Committee next week, which was agreed upon.
Deputy Mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala stressed that the matter needed to be dealt with urgently.
“We need a report stipulating how the matter was resolved,” she said.
City Manager Sibusiso Sithole said last month a new regrading system was approved for all units not just security.
“Regrading has to follow specific processes. Only the committee who reviews the applications can approve it. It is important for us to meet with affected staff and see how far the regrading processes have come,” he said.
Sithole said a grading forum has been established and the committee needed to review job profiles as well as other outstanding grading issues in the entire Municipality.
“The grading forum needs to be trained so that they can execute their duties diligently and objectively. The issues that the security guards have presented are not unique and a benchmarking exercise was done by Security Management. So we can’t look at this matter in isolation from the broader organisation issues,” said Sithole.
Mayor Nxumalo told the group that he understood their frustrations and was disappointed that this matter has taken unnecessarily long to be resolved.
He suggested the group form a committee or identify leaders who would engage with City officials on the matter going forward.
“We will be getting a proper report in the next Executive Committee meeting on how the matter will be resolved as quickly as possible,” said Nxumalo.
CITY TO HOST CREATIVE INDUSTRY SUMMIT
EThekwini Municipality, in partnership with the Office of the Premier, will be hosting the Creative Industry Summit.
The summit, which will be the first of its kind, will be a pivotal platform for the advancement of the creative industry in KwaZulu-Natal.
The summit, to be held on 26-27 February 2016, will provide a platform for artists to discuss issues within the creative arts industry.
It will seeks to share ideas on how to deal with challenges in the sector, provide a platform for stakeholders and government to share views on how to unlock the potential in the industry including opportunities for youth as well as ways of developing the creative arts industry with business and legal acumen.
Experts and creative industry enthusiasts from a number of district Municipalities will be at the summit where there will be panel discussions, presentations, seminars and exhibitions.
EThekwini Deputy Mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala said it was money well spent as promoting the creative arts and the economic benefits it would bring would contribute towards the country’s economy.
Speaker Logie Naidoo said the creative industry played a role in growing the province’s economy. He said there was a wealth of talent to be unearthed in KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is wonderful to be linking so many organisations together providing a platform for the creative industry on such a high level event,” he said.
