These considerations include cutting staff salaries by reducing the work week of some staff members and a voluntary severance package process that is already under way, said Kruger.

"These measures are aimed at cutting employment costs while saving some jobs – effectively a job-sharing model - while at the same time delaying a process of forced retrenchments," he told News24.

This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on communications, Dianne Kohler Barnard, said in a statement that staff salaries at the Post Office could be slashed by as much as 40% through a reduced work week policy.

This would result in a two-day reduction to the work week for some staff members, meaning staff members who were working five days per week would be reduced to a three-day work week, and those currently working six days per week would be reduced to four.

Kohler Barnard says that this move is an attempt to cut costs, which amounts to "nothing more nor less than constructive dismissal".

ALSO READ: Crime reason for shutdown at some post office branches

Aubrey Tshabalala, Gauteng deputy chairperson of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postal workers, said that the reduction in working hours is a governance issue as consultation is required to change the terms and conditions of postal workers' employment contracts.

In addition to this, he flagged concerns for workers, who he claims have not received a pay increase for a period of around four years and who have seen other benefits cut, such as medical aid.

"Having done that, you come back to the very same workers and say, ‘I want to cut 40% of your salary’. This is the worker that you have thrown on the street in terms of them no longer being able to afford a different medication."

Kruger said that all current medical aid contributions are up-to-date as of today, other than an amount historically owed to MediPos. "Sapo is actively engaged in processes to deal with this historical aspect of MediPos debt," he said.

ALSO READ: Free State a culprit in R3bn's fraudulent licence disc scams

The DA statement said that the Post Office has lost R2,3 billion this year and still owes Postbank R3,2 billion. Kruger said that the amount owed to Postbank is historic debt from when Postbank was a division of the Post Office.

"The Post Office has always been overstaffed," said Kruger. He attributes this to a number of reasons, including the absorption of 8250 temporary employees when Labour Brokers became undesirable and another 708 employees who were absorbed from its courier division, Courier Freight Group, when it was dismantled. 

A substantial decline in letter volumes over the past number of years has also reduced revenue at the Post Office, he said.

Kohler Barnard said that if the Post Office goes ahead with the "criminal move" of reducing staff hours, the DA will report the matter to the Public Protector, CCMA and the Department of Labour.

OFM News