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Post office strikers block Pretoria traffic [Cape Times (South Africa)](Cape Times (South Africa) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) PRETORIA: Casual post office employees brought traffic to a standstill as they marched to the Union Buildings to deliver memorandums setting out their demands yesterday. They are continuing their strike, which began on August 18, for a pay increase of 8 percent. The Communication Workers' Union has rejected the SA Post Office's revised offer of 6 percent. Telkom workers, who are members of the same union, also took part in the march. One of the memorandums, delivered to the Treasury, called on the government to inject more funds into the struggling post office and to stop using private international courier services, which the workers said were costing more than R20 billion a year. The memorandum delivered to Telkom demanded that the telecommunications company withdraw all termination letters handed to staff and pay workers their due in line with the profit-sharing agreement with the union. It also called on the government to buy back Telkom and Vodacom to serve the country's developmental objectives. Johan Kruger, of the post office's communications division, said the unions had been given a counterproposal to consider and a response was expected by Tuesday. "About 540 post office employees were absent from work in Gauteng due to the march, but operations in the Polokwane area have resumed. The post office is now focusing on the eMalahleni mail centre, which is not yet operational." Cape Times (c) 2014 Independent Newspapers (Pty) Limited. All rights strictly reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |