Ben Jacobs was born on 29 October 1958 in Port Elizabeth. He matriculated in 1978 at Bethelsdorp Secondary School in Port Elizabeth. He obtained a Diploma in Labour Law at RMIT in 2005 and a Certificate in Advanced Labour Relations at Wits in Johannesburg in 2007. He is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Arts: Education.

 

His career in the Public Service began in 1983 when he joined the Department of Education as a Teacher. In 1992 he was appointed as a Principal Human Resource Officer in the Department of Education. In 1996 he was promoted to Chief Youth Organiser. Since 2004 he has been responsible for Human Resource Management in the District where he manages Human Resource Utilisation, Labour Relations and Human Resource Development. In 2010 he was appointed as a PSA full-time shop steward and is currently stationed at the PSA Provincial Office in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.

 

Mr Jacobs also serves on the following structures in his Department: Batho Pele Committee, Provincial Labour/ Management Committee and Health and Wellness Committee.

 

He has been a member of the PSA since 1992 and became a shop steward in 1997. He served as Secretary for the Eastern Cape Sectoral Branch GPSSBC from 2004 to 2008. He is currently Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Sectoral Branch GPSSBC, representing the GPSSBC in the Bargaining Council. He is also involved in representing PSA members in disciplinary hearings.