The Communication Workers Union said on Thursday a nationwide strike, against the SA Post Office Service (Sapos) and Telkom’s plans to retrench workers, has been temporarily suspended.
The announcement came after discussions between the CWU national working committee and legal advisors of the union, CWU spokesperson Mfanafuthi Sithebe said in Johannesburg.
”The union has deemed it correct to suspend the planned action pending the finalisation of all legal requirements,” he said.
”This decision has also been formally communicated to all structures of the organisation and the alliance structures.”
The strike was scheduled to take place on Friday with the main demonstration at the Pretoria head offices of Telkom and Sapos.
The CWU announced it would embarked on the nationwide strike after Telkom in July issued a notice that it would retrench 1 340 employees over a three-year period. The number increased to 4 000 on July 21.
Also in July, CWU said it had declared a dispute with the Sapos over wage demands.
The union was demanding from Sapos a nine percent increase with a four percent increment backdated to July 1 last year.
The Sapos was offering an increase of seven percent with one percent backdated to last year.
Sithebe said on Thursday that Telkom and Sapos were aware the strike had been called off.
”The companies’ legal representatives have receive a communiqué from our lawyers informing them the strike has been suspended,” he said. – Sapa