Katima to slash staff

Katima to slash staff

NEGOTIATIONS to reduce the bloated staff of the Katima Mulilo Town Council by almost half have begun.

At least 41 council employees have opted for voluntary retrenchment and several meetings on the matter have been held between the union and the municipality since last week. Town Clerk Agnes Limbo said this week that 11 employees who did not qualify for positions in the new structure would be offered posts at constituency offices of the Caprivi Regional Council.At present the council employs about 105 people.The town council is due to discuss the last working day for the retrenched workers as well as their severance packages at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.Limbo said it was too premature to say how the council would meet the financial obligations of paying severance packages for the retrenched workers.Deputy Secretary General of the Namibian Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) Gabes Andumba described the process as having gone smoothly to date.He said the union would ensure a fair deal was struck for the workers.Many of them, he said, had opted to leave because of the unstable situation the council found itself… The council interviewed staff who were made to re-apply for their positions in the new structure in March already.The restructuring exercise has been in the offing since last year, but dire financial problems and infighting between councillors and employees have stalled the process on more than one occasion.The council has said it was necessary to trim its staff for the sake of efficiency.The town is now also without a Finance Manager.Edwin Kambinda resigned last week to take up a post in the Otjozondjupa Regional Council.Town Clerk Agnes Limbo said this week that 11 employees who did not qualify for positions in the new structure would be offered posts at constituency offices of the Caprivi Regional Council.At present the council employs about 105 people.The town council is due to discuss the last working day for the retrenched workers as well as their severance packages at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.Limbo said it was too premature to say how the council would meet the financial obligations of paying severance packages for the retrenched workers.Deputy Secretary General of the Namibian Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) Gabes Andumba described the process as having gone smoothly to date.He said the union would ensure a fair deal was struck for the workers.Many of them, he said, had opted to leave because of the unstable situation the council found itself… The council interviewed staff who were made to re-apply for their positions in the new structure in March already.The restructuring exercise has been in the offing since last year, but dire financial problems and infighting between councillors and employees have stalled the process on more than one occasion.The council has said it was necessary to trim its staff for the sake of efficiency.The town is now also without a Finance Manager.Edwin Kambinda resigned last week to take up a post in the Otjozondjupa Regional Council.

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