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The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has noted, with concern, the potential retrenchment of nearly 5,000 Post Office employees. This follows a ruling by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and a Single Adjudication Committee, which denied their Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) relief funding application.

The African National Congress (ANC) government is actively and willingly jeopardising the livelihoods of thousands of families, putting them at risk of financial hardship and hunger. 

We fail to comprehend why the ANC government is so focused on the job creation projects it is touting during this election period, without adequately protecting existing jobs or exploring innovative ways to re-employ the workers facing retrenchment.

The UDM has voiced its opposition to the government's approach to rationalising the South African Post Office (SAPO) through their R3,8 billion business rescue bailout.

Instead, we advocate for SAPO to prioritise its main client base in rural areas by conducting market research to understand their needs. This would enable SAPO to develop services tailored to their requirements, such as offering insurance through diversifying their financial services.

The UDM had also recently highlighted that institutions like Productivity South Africa still have a role to play before resorting to layoffs and SAPO should have approached them to find ways to assist them. 

It's far too easy to dismiss workers for operational reasons, and any justification under the guise of "operational needs" is readily accepted. In addition, there should be space created for the unemployed to re-enter the active market rather than being marginalised.

Issued by Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, UDM Deputy President and Chief Whip