Council staff angry about overtime

KARAS Regional Council staff members have threatened legal action over what they say is the Council’s refusal to pay them overtime.

According to one staff member, the Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Salmaan Jacobs, verbally instructed them to work overtime during a visit by the Northern Cape Premier to the Karas Region late last year. According to the staff member, management in its correspondence with Napwu offered the workers time off instead of overtime payment.They refused the offer.”This is pure violation of the Labour Act, therefore staff will either take the legal route instead of accepting the offer [of time off]” the staff member fumed.Overtime payment negotiations between Napwu and the Karas Council are continuing, the staffer said.Attempts to get comment from Jacobs and the Napwu regional representative were unsuccessful yesterday.Karas Governor Dawid Boois declined to comment, saying he had not yet been briefed on the matter.According to the staff member, management in its correspondence with Napwu offered the workers time off instead of overtime payment.They refused the offer.”This is pure violation of the Labour Act, therefore staff will either take the legal route instead of accepting the offer [of time off]” the staff member fumed.Overtime payment negotiations between Napwu and the Karas Council are continuing, the staffer said.Attempts to get comment from Jacobs and the Napwu regional representative were unsuccessful yesterday.Karas Governor Dawid Boois declined to comment, saying he had not yet been briefed on the matter.