2005/2006 - SANParks

2005South African National ParksHUMAN RESOURCESEMPLOYMENT EQUITY PROFILEComparison of Groenkloof, Parks Department and KrugerNational Park by Race and GenderRACE KRUGER NATIONAL PARKMale Female TOTALAfrican 1 580 614 219452.2% 20.3% 72.5%Coloured 344 144 48811.3% 4.7% 16%Indian 9 9 180.3% 0.3% 0.6%White 174 150 3246% 5% 11%TOTAL 2 107 917 3 02470 % 30% 100%EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMEThe recently established business unit: Employee Assistance Programme(EAP) is a proven strategy for assisting “troubled employees” and theirfamilies with personal and work-related problems which may negateoptimum performance and the effi cient execution of their duties.Amongst others, the EAP strives to address the following employeerelatedchallenges, like HIV and AIDS, Disability, Stress, Trauma, andAddiction.Since its inception, two policies [the EAP and HIV and AIDS policies]were developed and ratifi ed by SANParks’ Executive Management.Also implemented during the period under review was the EAP ReferralForm and the HIV and AIDS Programme.HIV and AIDS Co-coordinators and Committees have been nominatedfor each park to action and coordinate all EAP and HIV and AIDS-relatedactivities. An anonymous and unlinked HIV Prevalence Survey hasbeen conducted at both KNP and the Parks Division to ascertain theexact percentage of SANParks employees infected with HIV. The HIVPrevalence Survey aims to provide Management with reliable baselineinformation on which to base future interventions.This is to be followed throughout the next years by other initiatives aimedat the training of managers and supervisors, the rollout of the Know-Your-Status Campaign, training of Peer Educators and the implementationof Lifestyle Management and Treatment Care Programmes.On 1 December 2005, SANParks commemorated World AIDS Day(WAD) and during the occasion, SANParks Executive Management ledby example when they became the fi rst group to undergo VoluntaryCounselling and Testing and this further cemented SANParks’ unwaveringand urgent need to ensure their employees’ wellbeing.Transfer of EmployeesTransfer of Employees to SANParks in Terms of Section 197 of theLabour Relations Act 66 of 1995: Knysna and Tsitsikamma IndigenousForestsAfter years of negotiations between the Department of Water Affairsand Forestry (DWAF) and SANParks on the transfer of the Knysnaand Tsitsikamma Indigenous Forests, an MoU was signed betweenthe parties.According to this MoU, a total of 134 employees were transferredto SANParks with effect from 1 April 2005. A total of 22 employeeslodged an appeal as it was perceived that they would be worse offin pension benefi ts as a result of the transfer from the GovernmentPension Fund to the SANParks’ Joint Pension and Provident Fundand DEAT conceded that they would stand in for any fi nancial short-fallas calculated by an actuary. The 22 seconded employees acceptedthe outcome of the actuarial report and transferred to SANParks witheffect from 1 March 2006.Karoo Nature ReserveDEAT requested SANParks to coordinate a meeting with the EasternCape Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism(DEAET) and representative unions in order to obtain an in-principalagreement on the transfer of employees in the Karoo Nature Reserve,Graaff-Reinet, to SANParks.Following extensive consultations between DEAET, Eastern CapeProvince, SANParks and the unions, all parties signed an MoU relatingto the transfer of 14 employees from DEAET, employed in the KarooNature Reserve (Camdeboo National Parks) to SANParks with effectfrom 1 November 2005.Restructuring of Remuneration PackagesTo a large extent, SANParks’ basic salaries are not competitive incomparison to the broader labour market and this poses seriouschallenges to the retention of competent employees and has led tothe development of a Remuneration Strategy aimed at attracting andretaining the appropriate talent for SANParks.In order to achieve the strategy, the following action steps wereidentifi ed, an analysis of the internal pay equity, implementation designof the total cost-to-employer remuneration approach for employeesin Paterson Band C to F, pay scale design and pay modelling andbench marking.30