Residents in Pretoria can start checking their mail boxes again as Tshwane Mail, the main sorting centre in the city, is now operating at 88% of full capacity despite an ongoing post office strike.
Domestic mail was being delivered though a significant backlog remained at the Johannesburg International Mail Centre where letters and parcels from other countries enter South Africa, a SA Post Office (Sapo) spokesperson told Rekord.
Lose said the backlog in Pretoria should be wiped out within six weeks as Sapo employees at Tshwane Mail were working weekends. A nightshift will be introduced once enough employees became available.
“Thanks to the excellent support from the SA Police Service, incidents of intimidation have been reduced significantly and street delivery in most areas of Pretoria has resumed,” Lose said.
There were no delays in mail leaving the country, but a backlog remained at the international sorting centre for incoming mail in Johannesburg.
Lose said Sapo had put proposals to the three labour unions recognised by the company in a bid to end the current strike. They are the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), the Democratic Postal Communication Union (DEPACU and the South African Postal Workers Union (SAPWU).
“Negotiations continue in a forum created to facilitate the resolution of issues confronting Sapo,” Lose said.
In Pretoria, only two post offices – Belle Ombre and Atteridgeville – were still closed for repairs after they had been damaged by striking workers. The two buildings were expected to reopen for business on 10 November, Rekord was told.
On Tuesday, the CWU said it was still awaiting a response from the post office to its final pay demand tabled last week. The union lowered its demand from as 15% increase to 7,5% and the permanent appointment of casual workers over a 16 month period.
The cash-strapped post office earlier indicated it could not afford the salary hike demanded and revealed in Parliament last week it could not even pay their working employees’ October salaries on time.
Claims that some employees still had not received their October salaries, could not be confirmed on Tuesday.
Although Sapo earlier denied that it was bankrupt, allegations of mismanagement and wasteful spending were being made.
In an interview with Business Day this week, Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele said the government would only consider bailing out Sapo if the organization strengthened its leadership and persuade unions to play by the rules.
“We cannot just throw money on bail-outs without clear plans on how these things are going to sustain themselves moving forward,” the minister said.
He said government was currently assisting the post office to come up with a viable strategy that would instill confidence in the organization.
The strike has entered its fourth month and was marked by violence and intimidation which resulted in almost 200 criminal cases being opened against striking workers.
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