THE Communications Workers Union (CWU) is accusing the South African Post Office (Sapo) of stealing its members to benefit a rival union.
The CWU alleges that Sapo transferred the membership of some of their members to the South African Postal Workers Union (Sapwu), without their consent.
Sowetan is has seen identical copies of letters and affidavits in which CWU members deny being part of Sapwu and request Sapo to return their membership to CWU.
"This letter serves to inform you that I never joined a new union called Sapwu," read the letter.
"I have always been a loyal member of CWU and will remain as such.
"I have not given any permission to Sapo to change my membership status from the CWU to Sapwu.
"Can you please rectify my membership to avoid further complications or confusion."
In another letter members express their intention to resign from Sapwu "with immediate effect".
CWU spokesman Mothapo said the union had taken the matter to the Labour Court, where it will be heard next Wednesday.
"This has inconvenienced us because we have been ripped off of our rights to negotiate in the interest of our members," Mothapo said.
He said "this unfair labour practice is the same as the one employed by the apartheid regime".
He said Sapo should reinstate CWU's recognition agreement and its right to negotiate on behalf of its members.
"This could also prove that we are a majority union," Mothapo said.
He alleged that "Sapo partnered with Sapwu to steal the members with the aim of destroying CWU."
"Sapo wants to destroy our union because we have been raising concerns regarding maladministration and deep-rooted corruption at the parastatal," Mothapo said.
Sapo spokesman Khulani Qoma said the mailing and banking parastatal was investigating the matter.
"Union membership is based on stop orders received from unions and it appears as though some of the stop orders from both unions were unauthorised by the employees concerned," he said.
"We have subsequently requested our employees to verify their membership against their pay slip.
"We have also engaged both unions with a view to transparency and we are currently rectifying these anomalies," Mothapo said.
David Mangena, president of Sapwu, said CWU should take the allegations to the police.
"We have heard of those allegations and it is not our place to comment. CWU must just contact the police," Mangena said.
Postal unions at loggerheads
THE Communications Workers Union (CWU) is accusing the South African Post Office (Sapo) of stealing its members to benefit a rival union.
The CWU alleges that Sapo transferred the membership of some of their members to the South African Postal Workers Union (Sapwu), without their consent.
Sowetan is has seen identical copies of letters and affidavits in which CWU members deny being part of Sapwu and request Sapo to return their membership to CWU.
"This letter serves to inform you that I never joined a new union called Sapwu," read the letter.
"I have always been a loyal member of CWU and will remain as such.
"I have not given any permission to Sapo to change my membership status from the CWU to Sapwu.
"Can you please rectify my membership to avoid further complications or confusion."
In another letter members express their intention to resign from Sapwu "with immediate effect".
CWU spokesman Mothapo said the union had taken the matter to the Labour Court, where it will be heard next Wednesday.
"This has inconvenienced us because we have been ripped off of our rights to negotiate in the interest of our members," Mothapo said.
He said "this unfair labour practice is the same as the one employed by the apartheid regime".
He said Sapo should reinstate CWU's recognition agreement and its right to negotiate on behalf of its members.
"This could also prove that we are a majority union," Mothapo said.
He alleged that "Sapo partnered with Sapwu to steal the members with the aim of destroying CWU."
"Sapo wants to destroy our union because we have been raising concerns regarding maladministration and deep-rooted corruption at the parastatal," Mothapo said.
Sapo spokesman Khulani Qoma said the mailing and banking parastatal was investigating the matter.
"Union membership is based on stop orders received from unions and it appears as though some of the stop orders from both unions were unauthorised by the employees concerned," he said.
"We have subsequently requested our employees to verify their membership against their pay slip.
"We have also engaged both unions with a view to transparency and we are currently rectifying these anomalies," Mothapo said.
David Mangena, president of Sapwu, said CWU should take the allegations to the police.
"We have heard of those allegations and it is not our place to comment. CWU must just contact the police," Mangena said.
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