By Tiso Black Star Group Digital
The South African Post Office Group has dismissed 228 workers for embarking on an alleged illegal strike in Gauteng last month.
The protest action to the Post Office headquarters in Centurion was organised by the Influential Information and Communication Union of South Africa (IICUSA) to raise concerns about the parastatal’s decision to suspend its secretary-general Gibson Ramoadi.
The workers were also there to raise concerns about the company wanting to reopen negotiations on an agreement reached in 2014 to give all casual workers permanent contracts by November this year‚ and the failure by the company to give all permanent staff a salary increase of 6.5% for the financial years 2014 and 2015.
IICUSA spokesman Tutu Mokoena told Sowetan that while some of the workers had been dismissed‚ others have been issued with the letters of suspension.
In an urgent interdict application last week‚ to the Labour Court‚ ‚ which was not challenged‚ the Post Office’s labour law senior manager‚ Setimela Selala‚ accused some of the IICUSA members of damaging the gates around the premises‚ including some of the doors on June 13.
Selala said that‚ on the same day‚ Post Office chief executive Mark Barnes afforded the striking workers an opportunity to present their demands orally.
“Thereafter‚ the CEO made an undertaking to collate more information and to respond fully at the beginning of next week. Thereafter‚ the employees dispersed without further incidents and left the premises‚” he said.
Selala attached pictures on the court documents showing that on June 14 the striking employees blockaded the entrance of the Post Office‚ assaulted some employees‚ damaged the gates‚ vandalised vehicles and office equipment‚ trashed client’s mail and made off with some clients’ parcels at Germiston Hub‚ Doornfontein and Yeoville Post Office.
Mokoena disputed the pictures of property vandalism‚ arguing that the Post Office has in past had numerous strikes and it would be difficult to prove that the violent incidents took place during the day of the strike.
He added that the union did not challenge the application for an urgent interdict because Barnes has in the past told the media that march to the company’s head office was not a strike.
228 Post Office workers dismissed for illegal strike
The South African Post Office Group has dismissed 228 workers for embarking on an alleged illegal strike in Gauteng last month.
The protest action to the Post Office headquarters in Centurion was organised by the Influential Information and Communication Union of South Africa (IICUSA) to raise concerns about the parastatal’s decision to suspend its secretary-general Gibson Ramoadi.
The workers were also there to raise concerns about the company wanting to reopen negotiations on an agreement reached in 2014 to give all casual workers permanent contracts by November this year‚ and the failure by the company to give all permanent staff a salary increase of 6.5% for the financial years 2014 and 2015.
IICUSA spokesman Tutu Mokoena told Sowetan that while some of the workers had been dismissed‚ others have been issued with the letters of suspension.
In an urgent interdict application last week‚ to the Labour Court‚ ‚ which was not challenged‚ the Post Office’s labour law senior manager‚ Setimela Selala‚ accused some of the IICUSA members of damaging the gates around the premises‚ including some of the doors on June 13.
Selala said that‚ on the same day‚ Post Office chief executive Mark Barnes afforded the striking workers an opportunity to present their demands orally.
“Thereafter‚ the CEO made an undertaking to collate more information and to respond fully at the beginning of next week. Thereafter‚ the employees dispersed without further incidents and left the premises‚” he said.
Selala attached pictures on the court documents showing that on June 14 the striking employees blockaded the entrance of the Post Office‚ assaulted some employees‚ damaged the gates‚ vandalised vehicles and office equipment‚ trashed client’s mail and made off with some clients’ parcels at Germiston Hub‚ Doornfontein and Yeoville Post Office.
Mokoena disputed the pictures of property vandalism‚ arguing that the Post Office has in past had numerous strikes and it would be difficult to prove that the violent incidents took place during the day of the strike.
He added that the union did not challenge the application for an urgent interdict because Barnes has in the past told the media that march to the company’s head office was not a strike.
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