Three hundred South African Post Office workers have been retrenched in Limpopo. The retrenchment is part of the Section 189 implemented by the Post Office across the country.
Over 4 000 workers are set to be retrenched nationwide. The retrenchment has mainly affected drivers, tellers and postmen.
Unemployed 37-year-old Walter Pheedi is one of the 300 workers retrenched by the Post Office. Having worked 13 years for the Post Office, he is yet to receive his retrenchment package.
He’s unhappy about the retrenchment processes and he’s also struggling to maintain his family.
“This retirement has affected us, you know looking at these people they have contributed a lot to funeral parlours because some of us are going to die of heart attack, many of us are going to die with stress, many of us are going to kill ourselves because we don’t have anywhere to go,” a visibly upset Pheedi laments.
Pheedi says they feel discarded by the government.
“I overhear that there are some negotiations and that they are busy talking to the government but we don’t see any change, we only remain with a few days to serve this notice, it is very painful,”
Meanwhile, workers’ federation COSATU has called on the government to stop with the retrenchments.
“We reject the intended retrenchments at the Post Office because that a continuation of loss of jobs for many people who work at SOEs. On the contrary, as COSATU we believe that the SOEs must be assisted and the government must intervene aggressively,” says Hangwani Mashau, provincial COSATU Secretary.
Government has said it will intervene to reduce the number of retrenchments.
The Post Office has given workers end of April as their last day in office.
