Workers who bought bakkies for Post Office deliveries were retrenched and left with debt as pension payouts stall and unions stay silent.
Retrenched and voluntary service provider SA Post Office (Sapo) workers picketed outside the department of communications and digital technologies yesterday.
Jacky Maja, who was retrenched in 2024, said she was still unemployed and that former minister Solly Malatsi promised them Takealot jobs, but nothing has been forthcoming.
Ex-Post Office staff protest outside communications department
“We approached the department, which promised us they would pay us [our pensions] as soon as the government pays them. Then, when they received money from the Treasury, they still didn’t pay us,” she added.
“It’s affecting us and our families. Since we were retrenched in April 2024 up until now, we haven’t received our pension funds.
“They deducted the pension fund contributions from our salaries every month. Now we are retrenched, they don’t want to pay out our pensions.
“Now they tell us they have come to an agreement with the unions, and will only pay us 18 cents for every R1.
“The union didn’t even engage with us. We haven’t heard from the union since we were retrenched, but now they sign agreements on our behalf. We are disappointed in the union,” she added.
‘SIU must intervene’
Maja said the Special Investigating Unit must intervene and investigate the post office.
Another retrenched worker, Jackson Khoza, said: “It’s our money and we were never consulted. One day, we were just told we were going to be retrenched. We didn’t even get a statement to show for it.
“We just want our money. We don’t want to come back here again,” he added.
Albert Kwsha, who has been working at the post office since 1999, said: “They introduced a volunteer service package where we took our pension money to buy bakkies to drive for the company.
“They said the company was under financial constraints so we took our money and bought bakkies.” Kwsha said after they were retrenched, the post office outsourced drivers and left them unemployed and stuck with vehicle instalments.
Pensions remain unpaid
“I am 56 years old. Where am I going to work and how will I support my children?
“That money owed to us is more than R100 000. They deducted about R1 050 per month and never paid it over. Where is that money now?” he said.
The Communication Workers Union did not respond to questions.
