Post office workers call for improved sanitary and precautionary measures amid COVID-19 crisis |28 March 2020

Around 20 employees of the Seychelles Postal Services, (the Victoria branch) yesterday morning protested against the working conditions and the management’s approach amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has led many business organisations and public service departments to introduce operational measures, as a means of keeping employees and the public safe.

The employees, comprising postmen, drivers and others from the parcel section, grouped outside the workplace yesterday morning at around 9.30am, after they say their requests for sanitary and protective measures to be introduced fell on deaf ears.

“We are proposing that the post office be closed for two weeks since we are no longer receiving parcels on account of the travel bans and even commercial banks have adopted other means of communicating to their clients, for instance through text, rather than letters through the post, so it makes no sense to remain open. Additionally, other places have enforced social distancing measures and are controlling the inflow of customers into the building but no such practice is being employed at the Post Office, but it is business as usual with people entering and leaving as usual,” postman Norbert Dogley said.

According to the employees, basic sanitary measures including hand sanitisers, gloves and masks are lacking for employees, who have been instructed to use masks and gloves for a week.

“As postmen we go door-to-door and we are at risk, while cashiers and those at the parcel section work with the public. We are exposed when we go from house to house especially with some people placed on home quarantine by the health authorities. We do not know these people and these specific houses. We don’t even have gloves, hand sanitiser and we were given gloves and instructed to use the same pair for a week. We asked for a meeting and it was evident that they do not care about the well-being of workers but rather are just thinking about the business aspect,” Mr Dogley added.

The employees claim that matters were further made worse after one of their colleagues had returned to work for three days following travels to South Africa, before he started coughing and is now in quarantine.

“Just as other people are, we too are scared and we want to be taken seriously,” Mr Dogley concluded.

Numerous police officers arrived on scene just after 10.30am and a meeting was organised between the employees and management team of the post office.

All attempts to get in touch with Seychelles Postal Services chief executive Errol Dias were in vain.

Laura Pillay