The Communication Workers Union (CWU) served the South African Post Office with the 48hrs notice of its intention to embark on an industrial action in terms of Section 64(1)9(b) of the Labour Relations Act. The union obtained a certificate of none      resolution which followed after the deadlock on salary negotiations. It has now been more than 2 years that SAPO workers have not received any increase and to top it off, they are still owed the 2021/22 back pay. In recent times, workers of Post Office; in particular those belonging to MEDIPOS medical aid scheme, could not access their medical aid services because of no payments by the SOE. In the process, workers who live with chronic diseases and depend on medication for their health sustenance were left stranded. The short pay of the pension fund has worsened and impacted negatively on workers’ future savings.

On the other hand, the state of the SOE’s infrastructure is decaying and working conditions are unbearable. The State has been actively involved in bottle necking the business of Post Office through the years by cutting its subsidy yet regulating the entity on pricing. The separation of the Post Bank and Post Office proves to be the worst decision taken yet the Minister of Finance sees no reason to bailout SAPO.

CWU believes that the shareholder (the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies) has neglected its significant role at the SOE and allowed things to    deteriorate. The union is outraged at the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies’ Minister Ntshavheni’s style of leadership which is plunging the entire sector into a crisis. The Minister is detached from reality and not regarding workers as key components of the sector by sidelining labour in all strategic engagements. This led to a number of disastrous actions that some are impossible to implement such as her proposal of 10G free data for each and every household, to digital migration (without proper consultation with key stakeholders), a board-less SABC, a board-less SAPO, the Spectrum auctioning and many other key decisions taken  under her leadership.

In the action plan, the union intends to shut down all the operations of SAPO on the 24th to the 25th of November 2022. The shutdown will be characterized by picketing in all Post Offices across the country. The union also plans to march to the  Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, National Treasury and to the Post Office in Gauteng, Pretoria. In the Western Cape, union members will march to Parliament to hand deliver the memorandum to the same institutions, both of these marches will be on the 24th of November 2022. All members of CWU,  workers in SAPO and the public will gather at 10am at the Parliament and Union Buildings respectively.

The union demands a 15% salary increase across the board and other statutory benefits that have never been improved for years.

The union will also take an aim at the Treasury calling for the bailout, the subsidy for the Post Office and that the state must use SAPO as their primary service provider. At the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, CWU calls for an action being taken on the 0 – 1kg exclusive legislation in favour of SAPO, the appointment of the new board and accountability from SAPO executive management.

The end

Issued by the office of the General Secretary CWU

Contact:

CWU General Secretary

Aubrey TshabalalaCell: 061 481 1080