Impact of strike: post offices closing down
This is now the extend of the ongoing postal strike - post offices are closing down, even if it be for a day.
This sign was spotted on the window of the Post Office at the Square shopping centre in Rietfontein Road.
Possible violence has been cited as a reason for the temporary closure.
Sadly, there is no end in sight for postal strike, which by all accounts is becoming far worse as not only do piles of unsorted letters and parcels continue to pile up in several SA Post Office (Sapo) depots, but clients can no longer make use of the postal services at certain offices.
The strike concerns the labour dispute between SA Post Office and its employees.
The striking casual workers are demanding permanent contracts with benefits, better pay and better working conditions.
Some of theses casual workers have apparently been working for 15 years in vacant positions.
According to the general secretary of Communications Workers Union (CWU), Aubrey Tshabalala, they are demanding that all workers be employed as permanent employees, that salaries be increased and call for Sapo to return the reinstated employees to their original positions.
There have been several crippling strikes since 2011 at the Post Office.
Negotiations to resolve the problems has been carrying on intermittently for at least three years, however, it appear as if the top management is having difficulties resolving these labour disputes.
DA shadow deputy minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Cameron MacKenzie MP, says that the root of the unrest is that Sapo management has failed to honour its undertaking given to workers eight months ago, that it would employ casual workers as permanent part-time workers.
The implementation of the flexible labour strategy meant casual workers would qualify for benefits including vacation and maternity leave, medical aid, pension and a housing allowance.
