Strike keeps most post offices closed

SEVERAL post offices around Kempton Park remain closed due to the ongoing national strike.

Edleen, Norkem Park, Kempton Park as well as the Bonaero Park post office branches all remain closed since the beginning of the strike, only opening sporadically.

The only branches that are open include Bredell, Isando and Aston Manor.

Bonaero Park Post Office had been closed the whole week since Monday, October 13.

The branches open and close per instructions from area management, and also depending on whether they receive threats from strikers on that day or not. According to SAPO spokesman, Lungile Lose, incidents of intimidation are decreasing.

“A total of 43 post offices on the East Rand, Johannesburg and the West Rand are temporarily closed, the majority of them for repairs after they were vandalised.”

One of these include Birchleigh Post Office in Elgin Mall, which was trashed with hammers and bricks last week Wednesday by about 100 striking post office workers.

“As increasing number of postal workers return to work, processing of mail items continues at sorting facilities affected by industrial action, including the Germiston processing facility on the East Rand.”

The industrial action is the result of workers demanding higher wages, specifically a 15% wage increase, and casual workers demanding permanent contracts with the company.

“Postal workers in Gauteng embarked on an illegal strike on August 18. Their reason was dissatisfaction with the speed of appointing casual postal employees to permanent positions. The SA Post Office continues to discuss options with labour unions that will address issues in a sustainable way and restore labour relations to long-term stability,” Lose concluded.