Question NW1808 to the Minister of Transport

Reply:

Department

a) The department has so far identified critical posts that are funded and to date sixty-nine posts have been advertised and are in different stages of being filled

b) The department experience budget cuts on compensation of employees during 2015/16 Financial year and this had an impact on the filling of posts since not all vacant posts could not be filled with the current budget

(c) The functions of vacancies are being executed by other employees on the same salary grading and in some instances of a person appointed to act in a higher post. The acting appointments are based on the Department’s operational requirements, to ensure continuity in service delivery and efficient and effective functioning. An acting appointment is only applicable when service delivery will be hampered.

(d)(i) The total cost implication of vacancies in the Department since the implementation of the new structure, i.e. from 1 April 2012 to date amounts to R361 051 457.08.

(ii) R9 760 335.72.

Airports Company South Africa SOC Limited (ACSA)

The Airports Company South Africa approaches resourcing within the context of its approved Manpower budget. Where employee terminations are relevant, and a vacancy occurs, the company proceeds in recruiting for such positions within the shortest possible time thereby ensuring efficient continuation of operations.

In instances where a position is vacant, whilst recruiting for such position, it may be required to appoint an employee to act in such position. The acting of the employee in another position is regulated by a Board approved Acting Policy which includes the payment of an Acting Allowance, which is aligned with market practice.

Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS)

Occupational Levels	Peromnes Grade	Number of vacancies
Top Management	1	1
Senior Management	2 -3	2
Professionally Qualified and Experienced Special	5 - 6	4
Skilled Technical Workers Junior Managers	7 - 8	28
Semi-Skilled and Discretionary Decision	9- 12	9
Unskilled and Defined Decision Making	13 - 17	2
Total		46

(b) Positions are in the various stages of recruitment, ranging from advertising, shortlisting, interview stage, offers extended to successful candidates and candidates serving their notice periods with current employers.

(c) For critical positions an acting employee is appointed in the interim. The acting employee must perform all the duties of the higher position. The acting appointment must be in writing and communicated. Payment of Acting Allowances will be motivated by the Line Executive, and approved by the Executive Human Capital, for all acting appointments below executive level. Acting for executive positions must be approved by the Chief Executive Officer.

Non-critical positions are absorbed by current employees.

(d) Recruitment costs where applicable.

(i) ATNS pays retrospective ex-gratia payment to employees acting in the higher positions for a period of two (2) months and more. Employees acting on higher position will be paid 15% of own current Cost to Company as ex-gratia payment. Employees acting on higher position with another employee acting in that employees’ position, will be paid 5% of own current Cost to Company as ex-gratia payment. However, the acting allowance are offset against the salary for the vacant position.

(ii) Cost as per the Peromnes grade and the ATNS remuneration Policy.

South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)

a) All vacant positions as per the approved organisational structure of the South African Civil Aviation (SACAA) have been advertised on multiple platforms. Trainee positions have also been created to build capacity and fast track the filling of positions. As existing positions become vacant they are advertised immediately.

b) The SACAA had undergone a restructuring exercise about two years ago and as a result additional positions were created. The filling of the new positions is staggered over a period of three (3) years, i.e. 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years. In the current financial year, i.e. 2018/19, all positions as per the new structure need to be filled. Vacancies often occur as a result of the newly created positions being filled by existing staff who have applied for the new positions and this then opens up new vacancies. As soon as these vacancies occur they get advertised immediately. In addition, occasionally there would be a shortage of certain scarce and critical skills, which results in those positions taking longer to fill.

c) The vacancies have not resulted in performance issues or gaps as the work gets planned based on the staff complement approved for the particular financial year. In instances where there is a specific need for additional staffing, fixed temporary employees are appointed to deal with the additional work load in order to fulfil the specified projects.

d) (i)during the vacancy period

All vacant posts are budgeted for. In some instances, staff is appointed to act in critical positions and in terms of the SACAA remuneration policy an acting allowance is paid to these employees that act in higher positions. The costs relating to vacancies in the 2017/2018 financial year are:

1. Acting allowances paid to employees acting in higher positions R 720 766.00
2. Recruitment and placement fees; and R1 530 837.00

(ii) once a vacancy has been filled?

There is no additional cost implications because all positions are budgeted for.

Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA)

a) The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) not all vacant positions would be filled in any financial year except those that are budgeted for and are identified as critical positions.

b) Due to budget limitations and financial constraints, only identified critical positions are given preference.

c) Operations continue with the current employees in positions. Only in instances where it has been proven that the function will require at least someone to act will an employee be appointed to act in the vacant position.

d) The implications of vacant positions in the organisation has financial impact in instances where acting arrangements exist. (ii) Once a vacancy is filled, there are no extra costs outside the remuneration and rewards cost.

Road Accident Fund (RAF)

a) The Road Accident Fund (RAF) utilises various methods to fill vacancies at all levels and grades which includes, inter alia, Linked-In, the RAF website, recruitment agencies appointed through the RAF’s supply chain management processes and the use of head hunters from the RAF’s panel of service providers in the event where the above-mentioned resourcing methods prove to be unsuccessful,

b) the reasons for the vacancies not being filled includes; interviews not yielding positive results for senior positions, resulting in the positions having to be re-advertised; job applicants have to work a notice periods at their current employer; and instances where the successful candidate declines the employment offer and the second best candidate is not suitable, resulting in the position having to be re-advertised,

c) suitably qualified employees are appointed to act in vacant positions, to perform the necessary functions. The RAF’s Resourcing Policy provides that the relevant Executive is responsible for appointing employees to act in vacant positions up to TASK grade 20 and the CEO, for vacant positions above TASK grade 20; and

d) the cost implications (i) during the vacancy period includes an acting allowance of 15% of the basic salary paid in respect of the acting employee’s substantive position, provided that the entitlement to the acting allowance arises only from the third month of the acting period and (ii) there are no costs incurred once the vacancy has been filled, save for the cost of employment related to the successful incumbent.

Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC)

a) Strides have been made to reduce vacancies in the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) in line with the available funds. As one of our measures and KPI’s the vacancy rate is kept at 10% which is a universally acceptable standard to ensure capacity within an institution.

b) The filling of vacancies is determined on the basis of available funds and strategic objectives of the Corporation.

c) Employees are appointed to act in positions which have been identified as critical, to ensure that mthe work that would have been performed by those employees continues.

Where the positions are vacant but not critical, employees within the units are alternatively utilised through job enrichment and or enlargement to perform such functions as part of employee career development.

d) (i) During the vacancy period, there were two employees who were appointed to act in key positions namely, Acting Company and Secretary and Regional Manager Mpumalanga. The cost of the acting assignment is R246 549.97.

(ii) The financial implications for filling of vacant and funded positions during the 2017/18 is R3 252 329.40.

AARTO

a) The steps taken to fill the vacancies were first to finalise the organisational structure, in line with what would be required for the national rollout and the new requirements as a result of the AARTO Amendment Bill provisions. After the organisational structure was approved, it was followed by the subsequent grading of all post levels, prior to embarking on the recruitment process to fill those positions, which were scheduled to be filled during the 2018/19 period;

b) The Agency was working on the new organisational structure to support the RTIA strategy;

c) The existing staff members; and

d) None. (i) None and (ii) None.

Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA)

1. The steps taken by the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) to fill the vacancies were first to finalise the organisational structure, in line with what would be required for the national rollout and the new requirements as a result of the AARTO Amendment Bill provisions. Once the organisational structure was approved, it was followed by the subsequent grading of all post levels, prior to embarking on the recruitment process to fill those positions, which is scheduled to be filled during the 2018/19 period;
2. The Agency was working on the new organisational structure to support the RTIA strategy;
3. The existing staff members; and
4. None. (i) None and (ii) None.

South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL)

a) South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) Corporate Services cluster advertises open roles on a continuous basis to fill any vacancies, as and when they become vacant in line with our policies.

b) Recruitment delays can occur from time to time if right skills, that are in line with our Employment Equity Plan, are not readily available from the market. This may necessitate SANRAL to re-advertise and thus delay the finalisation of the recruitment process.

c) In the interim acting or temporary arrangements are made until positions are filled.

d) (i) -There are no quantifiable costs as SANRAL does not pay acting allowances.

(ii) Other than the cost of recruitment, there is no other costs associated with vacancies.

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA):

a) PRASA has a moratorium on appointments except for core and critical skills as well as vacancies that have transpired because of natural attrition. The vacancies that are not affected by the moratorium are duly advertised and filled, however, there are vacancies at an executive level that are yet to be filled.

b) The number of Board changes have affected the finalization and filling of the executive positions.

c) The Human Capital Management function performs vacancy management, and other employees are employed in an acting capacity to fill the vacant positions.

d) (i) The cost implications for critical vacancies are either the acting or responsibility allowances paid to individuals taking care of the role whilst there is a vacancy.

(ii) The agency or advertisement costs are the costs incurred in filling the vacancies and the salary of the successful candidates is the cost incurred once the vacancies are filled.

Railway Safety Regulator (RSR):

a) All vacant positions are advertised on the RSR’s website and national newspapers simultaneously in order to ensure that the entire South African population is reached.

b) Some positions are not currently filled as per the approved Organizational Structure due to the RSR’s turn-around plan that was approved at the beginning of the financial year.

c) Filling of vacant positions is the responsibility of the line manager in consultation with the HR and Finance departments. Responsibilities are spread across the employees in that department or section to ensure continuity of service delivery.

d) (i) There are no cost implications because no one is paid acting allowances in those vacant positions.

(ii) Once the vacancy has been filled, the applicable remuneration is paid to the incumbent. This would have been budgeted for.

South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)

The SAMSA Board made a recommendation to the Shareholder Minister on the CEO appointment, appointment is the Shareholder’s prerogative. The Board appointed the Acting CEO for twelve months and the incumbent could not act in the role for over twelve months. Decisions are made by EXCO, supported by the COO in the absence of the CEO.

Ports Regulator Of South Africa (PRSA)

a) The Ports Regulator cannot fill all vacancies as it is limited by the transfers received from parliamentary appropriations and the DOT budget, and in terms of the National Ports Act, it is not currently allowed to generate funds from other charges or levies. The DOT is currently working on an Amendment to the National Ports Act in order to facilitate a self-funding model for the Ports Regulator, to allow it to better capacitate itself.

b) In the absence of a self-funding mandate in the Act, the filling of remaining unfunded vacancies on the organogram requires a revision to the baseline allocation from appropriation. The vacant positions have been unfilled as the baseline has not been revised upwards at a reasonable rate, and the entity can not appoint employees using its small reserves as this option is not sustainable going forward. Non-recurrent or lump sum funds cannot be used for recurrent expenditure such as the filling of posts.

c) The current workforce works much harder to perform tasks that would have been performed by people in vacant positions. Also, the Ports Regulator has hired interns on a one year contract basis using non-recurrent funds. Thus far the Regulator has (with difficulty) managed the situation such that the vacant positions have not reduced the overall performance of the entity in that for the past four years, the entity has always achieved 85% to 100% of the KPI’s on the annual performance plan, as well as a clean audit over the past three years.

d) The cost implications has been communicated during the MTEF budget process to indicate the employee cost funding gap, unfortunately the gap has not been filled thus no appointments made. Currently it is estimated that approximately R10 million per annum revision to baseline is required to fill the organogram with respect to salaries and other employee related costs.