Durban - There is panic within the ranks of the newly established Border Management Agency (BMA) after staff salaries were not paid on time – the salaries were due today.
According to a notice sent to the staff, the agency said the “payroll file was not processed by the bank, yesterday, 14 June”.
BMA staff are stationed across all ports of entry like border gates and airports.
“Colleagues, Regrettably the payroll file was not processed by the bank yesterday, 14 June 2023. To that extent an urgent alternative payment process is currently under way.
JUST IN: There is panic within the ranks of the newly established Border Management Agency (BMA) after staff salaries were not paid on time. According to a notice sent to the staff, the agency said the "payroll file was not processed by the Bank, yesterday, 14 June 2023." pic.twitter.com/Xgt1OZvNEr
“This immediate ‘real-time’ payment process will ensure that staff receive their salaries starting this morning and throughout the day today, 15 June.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this unfortunate delay,” read an internal memo sent to staff after hours of panicking.
IOL has been informed by sources within the agency that since April their salaries have been delayed and the agency is facing a litany of administrative challenges.
In a list of queries that were sent to IOL towards the end of April 2023 when the agency got off the ground, it was alleged that staff are still using their own uniforms from their previous four departments where the staff was sourced from.
When the staff started getting their salaries, some were overpaid while others had their salaries cut.
The issue of salaries were later resolved, but not without blow-back for staff as some of them ended up defaulting on their debt obligations.
“There is no proper structure, for example, to phone HR or finance to deal with our queries.
“You are only told to send an email to the service desk then you will receive a reference number, you will be lucky if someone contacts you but then that person won’t have a solution to your query and will tell you he/she is just a consultant,” read part of the issues sent by stressed staff to IOL.
It was also alleged that some staff members’ medical aid has been cut off due to non-contribution by the agency.
The agency is yet to respond to IOL queries regarding these allegations.
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