Issued by: Ministry for Welfare and Population Development
SALARY INCREASE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
After consultation with members of the provincial Executive Councils and other stakeholders in the welfare sector, it is my pleasure today to announce a salary increase of 8,5 percent for social workers in the voluntary welfare sector. The increases will be backdated to 1 July 1996 and were approved after an agreement between the Ministry and members of the Executive Councils of the provinces.
The increases will amount to more than R7 million for the nine months from 1 July to 31 March 1997. The subsidisation of social work posts and administration costs per post will be phased out in April 1997 when the financing of social programmes will be implemented and a new financing formula which will address salaries will be in place.
In addition a once-off grant of about R1 million will be made available to child care workers in children's homes funded by the Government.
The voluntary welfare sector which employs approximately 2 400 social workers deliver the bulk of welfare services across the country. The Government subsidises their salaries by 75 percent and there is a small administration cost. No increases have been granted since 1993. This has created a backlog in their salaries compared with social workers in the public sector.
Although the salary increases were not included in the 1995/96 welfare budget, the Department decided to increase the renumeration of social workers considering the valuable role these voluntary organisations play in the delivery of services to vulnerable people.
A vast range of priceless services, such as child and family care, alcohol and drug abuse, the rehabilitation of crime offenders and the victims of crime, the disabled, the elderly and much more are being delivered by these voluntary organisations. I hereby, on behalf of the Government, want to acknowledge the critical role that voluntary welfare organisations play in the delivery of services.
The voluntary welfare sector also has to raise 45 percent of their own budgets from the corporate sector and other donors who have been redirecting their donor finances elsewhere. On top of this social workers are suffering from burnout, are disillusioned and are leaving the profession. The new approach of developmental social welfare services requires a strong, well-trained, voluntary welfare sector to meet ever increasing needs.
Issued: Minister for Welfare and Population Development, Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi Enquiries: Dr NE Chinkanda, Tel (012) 312-7723
23 July 1996