Postal strike continues in the city
The paralysing post office strike is now entering its fifth week in the city.
POLOKWANE – The paralysing post office strike is now entering its fifth week in the city.
Post offices in Polokwane closed their doors in the interest of their employees’ and customers’ safety, and armed guards were guarding the premises of the main post office in Landdros Maré Street.
Regarding the strike, South African Post Offices (Sapo) spokesperson, Johan Kruger, said matters were “better” but were not yet “good”.
“Striking workers in Gauteng are slowly going back to work, but in Limpopo it does not look good,” he said, adding that trucks used to transport sorted mail were being stoned and drivers were afraid to work.
He said on Friday 39 post offices in Limpopo were closed and by yesterday (Monday) 25 were still closed.
Kruger said the level of intimidation and assault was very high in Limpopo as striking workers intimidated those who wanted to work. He further said the police assisted Sapo and an interdict forbidding striking Sapo workers to come within a 1km radius of post offices had been issued.
Kruger said the 15% wage increase demanded by striking employees was not attainable. “Negotiations are ongoing and if all else fails we will go to the CCMA,” he said.
Employees demanded a 15% increase as well as the absorption of casual workers into the permanent staff component. Some of these workers have worked longer than 10 years as casual labour, without receiving any benefits such as housing and pension allowances. Previously Sapo offered a 6% wage increase and offered to absorb the casual workers into the permanent workforce within the next four years.
The South African Postal Allied Workers Union (SAPAWU) said in a press release that, apart from the salary increases and the permanent employment of non-permanent workers, there were various other demands which had to be addressed successfully before the trade union was prepared to settle.
Sipho Moholwana, provincial deputy secretary of the Communications Workers’ Union in Limpopo told Review last week that the situation among striking workers was “very tense”.
The strike has held up so many parcels from overseas and brought several businesses to their knees. Those of us who run internet businesses have switched to courier companies to deliver to customers and will continue to use them even after the strike is over.
The appalling situation of casual workers being casual for 10 years shines a light on the mismanagement at the highest decision making levels of Post and telecommunications. Is it not time that people were employed to run the post office based on their abilities and training rather than on who they know?