By Selloane Ntshonyane
• More than 4,300 Post Office workers lost their jobs and 366 branches closed during the business rescue process that began in 2023.
• Workers who kept their jobs say they are relieved the Post Office survived, but many still worry about job security, low salaries and poor working conditions.
The South African Post Office may have exited business rescue, but many workers say the fear and uncertainty are far from over.
For thousands of employees, the past few years have been filled with anxiety as they waited to find out whether they would still have jobs.
A 39-year-old mail delivery worker from Pimville said he still worries about his future, even though the Post Office has officially completed the business rescue process.
He said every day at work felt uncertain while the company was fighting to survive.
“I was scared that I could be retrenched. I had already started thinking about what I would do if I lost my job,” he said.
He said if he had been retrenched, he planned to use his payout to start a small business.
“I have child maintenance to pay, groceries to buy and accounts every month. Losing my job would have changed everything,” he said.
The worker said newer employees felt they were most at risk because they believed the company would use the “last in, first out” principle when cutting jobs.
“We were told they were going to do last in, first out, so many of us were very worried,” he said.
Although the business rescue process has ended, he said workers are still struggling to trust that the future is secure.
“We’ve been through a lot, so it’s hard to believe everything is stable now,” he said.
He also said salaries have remained frozen for years.
“I’ve been earning the same R6,000 a month since I started working at the Post Office. We were promised increases, but because of everything that happened, they never came.”
The worker also described poor working conditions.
He said many postmen still use old bicycles that often break down.
“I wish they could give us new bicycles and proper tools. Sometimes we even fix things using our own money.”
He said some offices also struggle with basic services.
“Our office doesn’t even have proper electricity. We only use solar lights.”
The South African Post Office entered business rescue in 2023 after years of financial problems, declining mail volumes and mounting debt.
According to the business rescue plan, about 4,342 workers were retrenched and 366 branches were closed as part of efforts to save the struggling state-owned company.
The closures affected communities across South Africa, leaving many people without nearby postal services.
Congress of South African Trade Unions Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks welcomed the Post Office’s exit from business rescue.
He said it gives the company a better chance of rebuilding its operations and protecting the jobs that remain.
The Pimville worker said he still thinks about colleagues who were retrenched.
“Some of them were close to retirement age. It will be very difficult for them to find another job.”
He said many workers are hoping the Post Office can now recover financially, improve working conditions and finally reward employees who stayed through some of the toughest years in the company’s history.
Pictured above: Post Office workers say they are relieved business rescue is over but many still fear for their future.
Image source: Selloane Ntshonyane
