Lerato Mbhiza
THE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have condemned the retrenchment of 4,700 workers at branches of the South African Post Office (SAPO) after business rescue practitioners sent out retrenchment letters to all those affected by the job cuts.
The job cuts are less than the 6,000 initially planned after consultation with unions at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) that started in January and was completed on March 22.
EFF Spokesperson Sinawo Tambo said this is an heartless decision that was driven by the business rescue practitioners
“This retrenchment is a grave injustice to the livelihoods of thousands of hardworking individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the public,” said Tambo
“The fact that nearly 42% of the existing SAPO workforce is being targeted for retrenchment is a stark indictment of the current government’s failure to protect workers’ rights and uphold their dignity.
“Despite receiving a substantial bailout of R2.4 billion last year – bringing the total to R10.3 billion between 2016 and 2024 – SAPO continues to languish in financial turmoil, with retrenchment payments contingent upon securing an additional R3.8 billion bailout,” he said.
Tambo added that It is also deeply troubling to witness the closure of 235 post offices across the country, disproportionately affecting regions such as the Free State, North West, North Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
“These closures not only deprive communities of essential postal and banking services but also exacerbate the unemployment crisis gripping our nation” he said.
In March this year, during a Parliamentary Q&A, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele reported that 235 post offices are due to close across the country, with most of them situated in the Free State and North West followed by North Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
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