Saftu led a march joined by disgruntled workers from South African Post Office to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to demand salary increases as part of their grievances.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Disgruntled workers from the South African Post Office (Sapo), currently under a business rescue plan, took to the streets in Pretoria on Wednesday to highlight their plight of working nine years without salary increases.
Joined by various workers' unions affiliated to the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) and Cosatu, workers marched from the Union Buildings to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to hand over a memorandum of demands.
They demanded that Minister Solly Malatsi intervene in their labour disputes and provide an update regarding Sapo's business rescue process.
SAFTU secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi, addressing marchers outside the department offices, hailed the demonstration as a show of unity among workers' unions.
He said workers had previously come to the department to plead for their issues to be addressed, but to no avail.
He painted a bleak picture of the Post Office entity, noting that at least 5,700 workers remain after successive retrenchments.
He further accused the government of "deliberately killing one of the most important sectors...they are leaving it to collapse so that they can give to their comrades".
SAFTU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi addressed Sapo workers outside the department offices.
Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
Vavi claimed “comrades” looted the Post Office while serving on its board. Workers, he said, endured delayed salary increases for years.
He alleged Sapo deducted provident fund contributions from salaries but failed to pay them over to the relevant authorities.
"They deducted money for medical aid and when you become sick you discover that you have no cent," he said.
Their memorandum also demanded an immediate R5,000 across-the-board salary increase and that 30% of government business be allocated to Sapo.
They also demanded answers on the R3.8 billion funding intervention meant to stabilise operations, along with full job security and a moratorium on retrenchments.
The business rescue practitioners recently confirmed that the R3.8bn is in Sapo’s approved rescue plan and government submissions. Of that, R2.4 bn has been released to cover operating costs and creditor payments, and they said a turnaround plan exists to stabilise the entity.
Workers further called for the immediate appointment of a functional Sapo board and a time-bound exit strategy for business rescue practitioners that avoids liquidation.
The South African Postal Workers said: "We want the government to address the issue of the outstanding R3.8 billion needed to complete the business rescue plan."
The union added that Post Office workers have not received a salary increase in more than eight years, despite daily inflation increases.
"We want the board of directors to be appointed upon the exit of the business rescue team. We want to know exactly when the business rescue practitioners will exit," the union said.
National Organiser for Communication Workers Union Moffat Seutlwadi said the government needs to transform SAPO to be technologically competitive instead of requesting the private sector to invest in it and privatise the entity.
"The post office is not for sale to be privatised," he said.
He said the business rescue plan “can never transform the Post Office”, adding that the entity must appoint a new board with credible managers and leaders who are not corrupt.
"We are giving the ministry seven days to respond," Seutlwadi said.
A department representative, who received the memorandum, promised to give feedback to workers leaders within the stipulated timeframe.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za