Share

Be careful, Cosatu tells fired Sapo staff

Johannesburg - Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has cautioned dismissed SA Post Office (Sapo) workers in Johannesburg to be wary of divisions as they seek to be reinstated.

"Be careful of the wedge-driver. He is a person who walks among us carrying a wedge in his toolbox," Dlamini told dismissed workers outside Sapo's Witspos distribution centre on Tuesday.

He said when workers demanded something, it was not because they were mad, but rather because something had gone wrong.

A total of 588 Sapo workers were dismissed following an illegal strike caused by a fake court document which stated workers were owed significant amounts of money.

The workers are seeking to be reinstated to their old positions and given money they believe they are owed.

Dlamini said the Congress of SA Trade Unions could not sit quietly when such a large number of workers were dismissed.

Before he started speaking to workers, the Cosatu president was greeted with a cheer.

When Zanele Mpho, the deputy president of the Communication Workers Union, was introduced to the crowd, she was greeted with jeers.

After he addressed the crowd, Dlamini and Cosatu Gauteng chairperson Bothas Zingi listened to and made notes of workers' concerns.

One man, when it was his turn to speak, said he was "disgusted" to see CWU representation present.

Those concerns included dissatisfaction with CWU, backpay owed, and an opportunity to elect new union officials at all levels.

Dlamini said he understood worker concerns surrounding CWU - if legitimate - and the federation would work towards addressing them.

Workers indicated before Dlamini arrived that they were not interested in official union involvement.

The situation appeared to change after Dlamini's intervention.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.97
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.97
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.48
-0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.4%
Platinum
911.60
+1.6%
Palladium
1,012.97
+1.1%
Gold
2,214.54
+0.9%
Silver
24.90
+1.0%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders