Post office strike is costing Sapo millions
FERNDALE - Striking Post Office employees alleged that management is backtracking on its promise, to employ them permanently.
Police have confirmed that a case has been opened at the Randburg Police Station after the striking Post Office employees burned various items inside of the building on Hill Street and Kent Ave on 2 September.
A statement from South African Postal Office (Sapo) states that “The continuous industrial action taking place at the Sapo in Gauteng has resulted in a loss of revenue of up to R71 million. It has also seen labour costs and damages to property reach over R5 million.”
On 1 September Sapo dismissed 473 casual workers and claimed that they were involved in incidents of violence in the latest unrest.
According to the Randburg Management Services (RMS), “People came to the old Post Office building, driving a Toyota Quantum, with unknown registration and took a security guard to the basement and went up to the floors and started to burn the building.”
In Ferndale, it is alleged that some of the striking employees went out of the building and broke a windscreen of a Docex Courrier car.
Casual postmen, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they have exhausted all avenues for their labour issues, but nothing has yielded any solutions.
These postmen, who deliver posted items around the Randburg area, claimed that they have been working as casuals for years and Post Office management has failed to make them permanent.
“We have different people doing the same job but paid different salaries. Some of us have been working as casuals for the past 17 years but we do not get medical aid, housing or pension benefits,” argued the casual worker who did not want to be mentioned for fear of victimisation.
Casual workers earn between R 1 700 and R 10 000 per month.
Details: Randburg Management District 011 326 3705 or 073 255 0606
Hi there, I feel that these people should be happy they even have a job when there are millions out there without work, money and food. This not only is costing SAPO, it is costing everyone else who has parcels in the depots that they cannot get to their clients, my customers items have been stuck at the ACSA depot since 29th August costing my company a loss of R20 000.00. Get real people and be grateful you have a job and get back to work.
Been trying to get more up to date information about this strike. The very latest I can find is around 8 September. I have clients waiting for items which the have purchased via my web store. What makes it even worst is stock I am supposed to have is stranded at either OR Tambo or Witspos Main Hub. This is crazy!!! Is this strike over or not? Nothing from SAPO or on the Internet. Why, why, why did it get to this stage in the first place. Government needs to take a hard look at SAPO Management and see where it all went wrong. Meanwhile we all suffer……