Post office pays millions in overdue medical aid contributions of Solidarity members

21 September 2022

The South African Post Office (SAPO) paid more than R3 million on behalf of Solidarity members to MEDiPOS, the medical scheme for employees at the post office. This follows Solidarity having approached the court and obtaining an urgent court application to get a settlement order to prevent its members at this state institution from losing their medical aid benefits.
 
SAPO failed to act in terms of its agreement with employees and owed the medical scheme, MEDiPOS, more than R3 million. That amount was settled in the last week and members’ medical aid benefits remain in effect. However, on Friday, September 23, Solidarity will return to court regarding further non-payment to members who were initially not part of this legal action.
 
“It is extremely worrying that Solidarity must approach the court every year to ensure that SAPO takes care of its employees. Employment contracts are in fact drafted to protect employees’ rights, but SAPO supposedly ignores them,” said Anton van der Bijl, head of legal affairs at Solidarity. “Only Solidarity members at the Post Office’s contributions have now been paid. This means that there are hundreds of other people who will lose their medical aid benefits if SAPO does not pay the minimum payments, in terms of a court order obtained last year.”
 
Solidarity is of the opinion that SAPO is ignoring its statutory obligations and that non-payment like this puts the lives of members suffering from life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, in jeopardy. MEDiPOS cannot survive only on Solidarity members’ contributions and the continuous non-payment from the Post Office is of huge concern for the continued existence of MEDiPOS.
 
“The mere fact that SAPO must be brought before the court to comply with agreements of which it is a part of, is a burning shame. Without thinking, those in charge of enterprises in the public sector are disregarding their employees’ rights and lives while they run these institutions into the ground,” van der Bijl believes.
 
Last year, Solidarity also had to force SAPO to pay approximately R600 million to employees’ medical schemes through a court case, and from now on will continue to hold accountable those who think they can get away with fraud and theft.
 
“South African state institutions and corruption are synonymous with each other, but here people’s lives are threatened through the abusing of taxes. Our members in the public sector’s rights will be protected, and they will not be left to mismanagement,” concluded van der Bijl.

Issued by Anton van der Bijl, Head: Legal matters, 21 September 2022