One of South Africa's biggest hot potatoes here politically and thus, economically, is the use of 'casual labour' and how it removes the opportunity of employee benefits. Casual labour is a necessary and fantastic tool in some aspects of the economy - like in agriculture when, for ten months of the year you'd be insane to pay pickers to stand around and wait for the crop to be ready. But when it's used to run the operations of a para-statal like the post office, it's a hands down disaster. I learned this today when I went to the largest mail sorting office in the Western Cape - CHEMPET 7442.
When I complain about any kind of service delivery in Africa, I like to be polite and up front about the process. Usually I start by saying "I am about to complain. Are you the right person for this?" This gives the person the chance to either get ready or find someone else for me to complain to. I have learned this tactic here in Africa because usually it takes about 2-3 people to actually find the right person to complain to. Even though Africans great respect the concept of a complaint (god knows they have enough of their own), they don't like it when Westerners complain to them especially if they have to accept fault. I respect this but it also makes me sad because I believe that if Africans were more willing to see and accept fault within themselves and their societies they could get on with the job of making things better here for the majority of citizens. Like the South African Post Office where I am standing. The last thing we need is another commission.
It turns out my registered letter has been rerouted for a second time because it sat too long in the last place during the recent 3-week strike. There's that word again - who is not striking here? The polite and obviously overwhelmed operations guy tells me the workers make R6,000 per month, about $700 USD. I ask him what would be the fair wage and he says more than double this, R15,000. No wonder the workers strike. Who can live on $700 USD a month in an industrialized country like South Africa? Why is the government not paying their postal workers a fair wage?
The other issue is that of casual labour. He tells me over 50% of his workforce is casual labour which means that on a daily basis his staff is training and retraining people for the same job over and over again. It appears the SA Labour Federation is involved and trying to end the mis-use of casual labour because it's considered a violation of economic rights and is exploitive. Another dead-end economic street for young Africans. Who would aspire to work as an underpaid letter-carrier? Up at 4am, walk to the taxi rank in the dark, wait for the taxi in the dark, arrive at work only to be paid $35 for what will be 16 hours of expended energy that day. That's about $2.16 per hour. The Africans in the sorting room watch my every move as I move through the huge room full of strange-looking equipment from the 1950's.
When I complain about any kind of service delivery in Africa, I like to be polite and up front about the process. Usually I start by saying "I am about to complain. Are you the right person for this?" This gives the person the chance to either get ready or find someone else for me to complain to. I have learned this tactic here in Africa because usually it takes about 2-3 people to actually find the right person to complain to. Even though Africans great respect the concept of a complaint (god knows they have enough of their own), they don't like it when Westerners complain to them especially if they have to accept fault. I respect this but it also makes me sad because I believe that if Africans were more willing to see and accept fault within themselves and their societies they could get on with the job of making things better here for the majority of citizens. Like the South African Post Office where I am standing. The last thing we need is another commission.
It turns out my registered letter has been rerouted for a second time because it sat too long in the last place during the recent 3-week strike. There's that word again - who is not striking here? The polite and obviously overwhelmed operations guy tells me the workers make R6,000 per month, about $700 USD. I ask him what would be the fair wage and he says more than double this, R15,000. No wonder the workers strike. Who can live on $700 USD a month in an industrialized country like South Africa? Why is the government not paying their postal workers a fair wage?
The other issue is that of casual labour. He tells me over 50% of his workforce is casual labour which means that on a daily basis his staff is training and retraining people for the same job over and over again. It appears the SA Labour Federation is involved and trying to end the mis-use of casual labour because it's considered a violation of economic rights and is exploitive. Another dead-end economic street for young Africans. Who would aspire to work as an underpaid letter-carrier? Up at 4am, walk to the taxi rank in the dark, wait for the taxi in the dark, arrive at work only to be paid $35 for what will be 16 hours of expended energy that day. That's about $2.16 per hour. The Africans in the sorting room watch my every move as I move through the huge room full of strange-looking equipment from the 1950's.
Labour is so under-valued in Africa that massive amounts of wasted human energy distort national economies making them unable to grow. And urban workers are forced to uncomplainingly work for less money than they need because there is always someone standing right behind them willing to do the same. It's like leaders who have the ability to create change are so busy fighting over the small opportunities in front of them that they don't see the value in the ocean of humanity right behind them, willing to follow and wanting to thrive. It feels like a five-lane highway that suddenly merges into a one-lane bridge with hundreds of millions of Africans screeching to a halt and unable to bring their energy into the system. Africa needs wider bridges, less paperwork & a supply-driven mentality. The energy circulating around this continent in absolutely staggering and yet to be truly harnessed.
As I disappointingly leave without my package which has now gone to a third location, I tell the guy to call me if I can help reorganize the post office. This country is amazing and I have come here to prosper so I will do my bit even though my plan was to do so through compliant taxation. If they will have me, I will offer my organizational and profit-making skills to workers of CHEMPET 7442. I will increase the wages by 25%, lobby to raise the price of a local stamp, chuck all these depressingly grey metal cabinets and get Microsoft on the phone. This is how I know how to help 'transform' South Africa - old-fashioned hard work that puts something real in your pocket at the end of the day.
Every major disfunction in Africa is a big beautiful business opportunity waiting to be discovered. If only the governments would get out of the way.
Photos; CHEMPET 7442 SA Post Office on the Koeberg Road, Milnerton
Photos; CHEMPET 7442 SA Post Office on the Koeberg Road, Milnerton
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