Afrique du sud : NUMSA fully backs strike by CWU at SA Post Offices

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on behalf of its 349 000 members pledges its unwavering support and unflinching solidarity with the striking SA Post Offices workers led by our reliable ally, militant, class orientated and fighting Communication Workers Union (CWU).

NUMSA calls on the SA Post Office management to concede to the legitimate and genuine demands of workers. We strongly believe that the demands of the workers can be met by the SA Post Office management. The SA Post Office workers deserve a living wage and a life of dignity, amidst the triple crisis of poverty, unemployment and inequality in our country.

We call on SA Post Office workers to be united and diminish the fictitious wall erected between community struggles and struggles on the shopfloor.

We firmly believe that the struggles of workers for better wages and improved working conditions is inseparable from struggles of South Africa’s Black and African workers to defeat their colonial conditions of existence post the 1994 negotiated settlement. It cannot be that post 1994, the Black and African working class continue to live colonial lives characterised by inferior wages to white workers, poor and inferior housing, education, health and all social amenities and services.

We call on CWU to use this ongoing strike action to expose and deal with the deep-seated systemic and structural problems at the Post Office and the corruption which permeates it.

We condemn the political patronage being dispensed by political elites, using the very same public institutions to reward their loyalists and relatives with lavish positions. All this has seriously weakened and collapsed good management and conducive labour relations. This logically has affected the provision of the much needed quality service to our people. We are firm that political patronage is depriving our people faster and improved quality service.

Furthermore, Numsa calls on the striking workers to remain firm and resolute on their demands for a living wage and improved conditions of employment. NUMSA, as an ardent believer in worker’s battle slogan ; “an injury to one ; an injury to all”, shall soon unleash its practical solidarity action and plan involving all our members in support of Post Office workers struggles.

Castro Ngobese, NUMSA National Spokesperson