DEAR Editor,-
Your coverage of the municipal protest action at both Ugu and Ray Nkonyeni Municipalities (SCH August 18) persuaded me to undertake some hurried inquiry.
With respect to the former, the public, needs to know the true facts that legitimise worker grievances with regard to their insurance scheme.
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It also brings into question management’s ability to resolve this ongoing dispute. Right now the community is being held to random. The quicker a resolution is found the better for the community, officials and politicians.
With regards to RNM, I was particularly curious to enquire about the two heads of departments who have so incensed workers to strike.
A cursory investigation couldn’t reveal controversy about the technical services head, other than the fact that some significant capital projects had been done during his term of office – over a dozen bridges constructed, numerous community halls built, literally thousands of houses erected, sports facilities established and roads reconstructed. So why the fuss?
However, much more appeared to emerge about Nelly Thabata. It then became obvious why they would find it ‘justifiable’ to engage in a protest against her.
Ms Thabata emerges as a woman of rare character. Driven by corporate ethics in her short stint at RNM, she has instituted critical management systems in her HR department.
Part of this was the universally accepted ‘time management system’. The system effectively conjoins worker attendance to services delivery.
This is something that the council was grappling to implement for almost 10 years. Here you have a woman implementing it within two years of her arrival. What a ‘tragedy’! Let’s strike to get rid of her.
Her systems did not stop there. Her introduction of an appointment system to be followed by all workers who wanted to make enquires at HR was also rebuffed.
Actually, the unions appear to be striking for the uncoordinated ‘ad hoc’ visits of employees who could leave their posts at any time and queue for a day to enquire about matters that could take a few minutes to resolve. What confounded logics!
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But certainly the last of their demands was important to protest about. This young professional has the uncanny ability to discipline errant employees incontestably.
She gained notoriety by disciplining high-ranking managers to general workers. This is unthinkable in a municipal environment. She is a serious threat to the shirkers. She must be removed – so say the unions.
Nelly Tabata, the community salutes you! You are a true woman of substance and the union has ironically celebrated you. The public would not have known your valued contributions had the workers not protested. Continue with your great work and inspire others.
ANONYMOUS
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