Post Office finally talking to strikers?
- Published on 29 Oct 2014
- HR Pulse staff writer
Now entering its third month, the South African Post Office strike seems, finally, to be making some headway. The Communications Workers Union has softened its stance with a revised wage demand of an 8% increase and a call for all casual workers to be employed within 16 months. This comes as a counter offer to an initial suggestion by the SAPO to give workers a 6% increase and employ casuals after 30 months.
The initial demands by the union were seen as unreasonable with an ultimatum presented by the union to hike salaries by 15% and a call to employ all casual workers within four months.
The strike has led to closures of post offices across the country as a result of intimidation and vandalism by striking workers but SAPO is sticking to their guns and says that workers who are on strike will not be paid their salaries this month, as it is standing by the no work no pay policy.
Oddly enough, top managers at the troubled SAPO have generously awarded themselves salary increases in the region of 26%. This is despite the fact that their net loss has risen by some 22 million Rand from last year. According to an unpublished draft of the annual report obtained by Business Day, the total salary bill for the four executive directors on the parastatal’s books, together with the 20 senior managers, jumped to R32.5m in the year ended March.
The losers, at the end of the day, are the South African people and business in general. With the Post Office going on strike five times since 2011, there seems to be no end in sight to the constant cycle of labour disputes. And where is the SAPO leadership throughout all of this? It would appear that CEO Chris Hlekane has been placed on "extended leave".
