Vuyile Bongoza

The support staff remuneration package is made up as follows:

• Basic Cash
• Annual service bonus (only paid if in service, paid pro-rata in first year of service and not paid pro-rata upon resignation)
• UIF insurance
• Only for staff on grades 6+: Compulsory Group life insurance of 0,426% of basic cash, 
• Pension/provident
• Medical aid membership
• Housing allowance

For support staff on grades 1 to 5:

As negotiated with NEHAWU, these staff join the NBC Provident Fund. Staff moving from grades 1 to 5 to a post in grade 6 or above, are required to join the Rhodes University Provident Fund on a contributoryor a non-contributory basis. For further information on this, contact the HR Generalist of your work area or Division.

2017 Support Staff Remuneration Grades 1 to 5

For support staff on grades 6+:

Depending on benefits selected, the total cost to company remuneration packages may vary.The basic cash will differ, depending on whether pension/provident or non-contributory provident fund is chosen. If the non-contributory provident fund is chosen, the basic portion of remuneration package will be 94.27% of that of the provident/pension fund. For this reason, different remuneration information is provided for pension/provident fund and non-contributory provident fund.

Please note that the scales below, which apply to permanent staff,include the full long-leave benefit. For staff who were employed on grade 6and above before 1 July 2009, this figure needs to be discounted if any long leave has been retained as a leave benefit. For assistance with this calculation, please contact the Financial Support Specialist, Adrienne Tait on 8002.

2017 Support Staff Remuneration Grade 6 and above

2017 Temporary Support Staff Remuneration

Part-time scales are calculated using the hourly rate as per the above scales. These are available on request from the HR Financial Specialist, Adrienne Tait on 8002 or a.tait@ru.ac.za

Salary reviews:

Remuneration reviews take place on an annual basis, effective from January of each year. In 2009, a significant review of support staff salaries took place with an investment of R10million rand. Of this, R1million was used to move the annual salary adjustment date for staff on grades 6 and above from October to January of each year. A further R1.5m was allocated for scarce skills allowances. The remaining R6.5m was allocated to bring the remuneration of staff closer to the 50th percentile as well as to move catering staff onto the same scales as other staff. For further information about the market adjustment please see the document below.

Communication of Council decision

Key principles that underlie the 2009 and future support staff market adjustment and related proposals are:

1. Achievement of greater external equity i.e. better alignment of support staff salaries relative to the Higher Education market;
2. Achievement of greater internal equity i.e. fairness and consistency between collectives of staff and between individual staff;
3. Implementation of short-term remuneration measures that do not compromise long-term remuneration strategies; and
4. Implementation of short-term remuneration measures that will support long-term institutional sustainability.

Since 2009, the market adjustment negotiations have formed part of the annual salary negotiations with both unions. The allocation of funds to improving the minimum salary (that is the market adjustment) for each grade has remained a priority of the management of the institution.

In 2010, no market adjustment for support staff grades 6+ was negotiated with NTEU. It was agreed to wait for the market review to be conducted in 2011 and then to base remuneration decisions on the outcome of that analysis. There was however a market adjustment of approximately R200 000 allocated as part of the settlement with NEHAWU for grades 1 to 5. In 2011, over and above the annual adjustment, approximately R1.1million was allocated for the market adjustment for all support staff. In 2012, over and above the annual adjustment (which was a rand value based strategy) approximately R2,5million was allocated for the market adjustment for support staff (grades 1+). This was the first year that a rand value based annual adjustment strategy was pursued. This strategy supports the achievement of internal equity and addresses remuneration anomalies within grades based on historical remuneration practices.

For further information please contact HR Director at 8113 or hr@ru.ac.za.

Last Modified: Tue, 03 Oct 2017 16:45:55 SAST