What effect has the strike by SA Post Office (Sapo) workers – which has dragged on for 10 weeks and turned to outbreaks of violence – had on the freight industry? Little to none,” said Anthony Dawe, CEO of the Bidfreight group. Virtually nobody in industry nowadays uses snail mail to any extent – except perhaps those in the legal and accounting professions where original documentation is important. But almost everything else is now handled electronically, according to Dawe. What is not, and has to travel in original format, is generally couriered. Something which offers the benefits of speed, security and reliability, he said. Also, as volumes have grown, so the cost of couriering has come down. Said Dawe: “Add this industry alternative to the latest, lengthy industrial action at the post office, and this may hasten their demise.” The strike is about the conversion of casual workers to permanent staff – where, if Dawe’s assumption proves correct, that word “permanent” may have a new, short-term meaning. Indeed, the cashstrapped, strike-battered post office is close to collapse, parliament’s communications and public enterprises select committee was told last week by Sapo GM public affairs, Andrew Nongogo. “The financial situation of the post office is dire – seriously dire,” he said. And it’s probably not helped much by allegations of irregular spending running into billions and dabbling in the pension fund to the tune of R400m. Those were just two of the governance matters raised in parliament.
