The Communication Workers’ Union in KwaZulu-Natal says it is ready for the strike which will start at Telkom and the South African Post Office on Friday. Wage negotiations between the union and the two entities have deadlocked.
The strike at the Post Office will put further strain on the already disrupted grant pay-outs.
CWU provincial secretary Thami Mzileni says the 3% salary increase that Telkom is offering is a slap in the face, while the Post Office has not made any offer.
“Effectively from 7 July, which is on tomorrow KwaZulu-Natal will go on a full blown strike. And we wish to warn and advise both small and big businesses that they’re going to be negatively affected as a majority of our technicians are members of Communications Workers Union. We’re saying this to advise and make you aware as a majority of businesses are using Telkom both Fixed lines including data services.
Meanwhile, the CWU says the post office is not ready to handle the social security agency SASSA account. Mzileni says people will not be able to receive their grants because there are some Post Offices in the province that have been shut down.
Mzileni says government should invest in upgrading infrastructure and network in the Post Office.
“The 3.5 billion that was given where did it go what is it that it paid because when they went to the portfolio committee in parliament they said that an amount of about 3.5 billion will assist them to be able to settle all of their depts. In KwaMashu, the Post Office depot is closed now all workers in KwaMashu have been moved to Durban north. Which means then there’s a dis-service in Kwamashu. People of KwaMashu cannot access the Post Office because it has been closed.”
