Light at the tunnel for Post Office – workers face expulsion
The ongoing strike at the Post Office, which have caused large scale disruptions in the flow of communication, has taken a step in the right direction recently.
According to reports, The Post Office reached an agreement on a salary increase with two of the three recognised labour unions: the SA Postal Allied Workers Union and the Democratic Postal and Communications Union, which together represent 50 per cent of the employees in the bargaining unit.
They agreed to a 6.5 per cent wage increase, effective next month. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents 39 per cent, is holding out for a 7.5 per cent increase backdated to April.
At the same time, the SA Post Office has threatened to dismiss workers who don’t return to work immediately.
Simo Lushaba, who has been tasked with saving the ailing parastatal, has urged all the remaining employees to return to work immediately so as to proceed with the task of rebuilding the SA Post Office.
It also seems that the Post Office has begun sorting and distributing mail again, despite CWU holding out. Some of the mailing centres, such as Witpos and Tshwane Mail that were impacted the most by the strike, are already working to full capacity.
However, the Post Office assures that new mail will be delivered immediately when it comes through, while older mail will be cleared around mid-December.
