Business Day
*No end in sight for Post Office strike as CWU leads march* *Nick Hedley, Business Day, Johannesburg, 15 June 2012*JUST a week after what seemed to be the end of a four-month strike, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) led a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria yesterday to hand over a memorandum to three government departments, calling for an end to labour brokering at the South African Post Office (Sapo).
Last week an "interim solution" to the strike at Sapo was reached, which included the phasing out of labour brokers over three months.
However, the union, an affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) --- said workers do not want endless promises, and called for the termination of labour broker contracts "with immediate effect", and the re-instatement of retrenched workers.
Sapo is proving to be a major battleground in Cosatu's opposition to labour-broking after the failure to have the practice banned.
CWU Gauteng head Aubrey Tshabalala said that marches and action would not end until the issues surrounding labour brokers were "dealt with significantly" and demands met. The memorandum was handed over to representatives from the Departments of Public Works and Communication, and the National Treasury.
Sapo's group executive of mail business, Janras Kotsi, said three-months' notice had been given to end labour-broker contracts, following which employees would be directly employed. Sapo was committed to the interim solution while it worked on a long-term plan, he said.
This interim solution in the phasing out of labour brokers included a deal where "casual workers" would be retained, but would be paid the full amount of their wages directly, instead of their wages being handled by labour brokers, Mr Kotsi said.
Sapo was working on a long-term solution to the problem, and expected this to be completed in three to nine months, he said.
Cosatu's Gauteng chairman, Phutas Tseki, said the march yesterday was not only about labour brokers. He said Cosatu would call for the implementation of the Freedom Charter at the ANC's policy conference later this year.
He demanded, among other measures, "transformation", "nationalisation", and an end to labour-broking in "all departments" in SA.
Mr Tseki said action would be intensified until demands were met, and if mail deliveries were interrupted, residents and businesses "would feel the pinch".
Mr Tshabalala said: "All workers in Sapo should be converted to permanent positions with immediate effect, with all benefits including housing allowance, pension scheme and medical aid scheme."
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