Insider reveals post office dilemma
Dozens of Boksburg residents claim that they are experiencing significant delays in mail and parcel delivery, apparently as a result of post office employees’ strike.
According to Malusi Fuphe, spokesperson for the SA Post Office, the delay is as a result of a staff shortage on the East Rand in their delivery section.
“However, following route changes, mail is now delivered daily to customers and the backlog in this workplace should be worked off in the next week or two,” says Fuphe.
He, however, denied it was because of a strike.
Despite the reassurances of Fuphe, residents in Boksburg, however, kept on telling the Advertiser that their mail delivery has been very poor, adding that they have gone several weeks without receiving their mail.
One of the residents who have gone without mail became so fed up and visited the Boksburg depot to find out what was happening.
“I found a few employees on duty and they were working more slowly and with less effort than usual,” said the resident who also described the Boksburg post office as the most unreliable mail delivery service in the region.
“I went inside the depot and found thousands of unsorted letters gathering dust on their shelves. I suppose this is their way of protesting,” added the complainant.
According to an employee at the affected branch, who wishes to remain anonymous, workers at the depot were recently on strike, creating backlogs and delays in mail delivery services.
The source said that the strike has been resolved, but more people have to be hired to ease their workload.
“Workers were trying to persuade the employer to agree to higher pay and better working conditions. It was a bad time, but it’s all past now.
“I don’t know why they are hiding it. Some people were even afraid to come to work because they were scared of being attacked by other employees who were on strike,” says the employee.
The source also alleged that the depot has been understaffed for a long time.
“We have been for a long time working without a supervisor and uniforms. Uniforms were only delivered on Friday, July 25. We were also told that a supervisor will only arrive on July 28, but I haven’t seen the new person yet.
Fuphe has added that efforts are being made to ensure that the workplace has adequate personnel and there is no strike. – @FanieBoksburg
