Operations at the South African Post Office (Sapo) are improving as the number of employees returning to work increases, the entity said on Monday.

“The number of Sapo employees that have heeded the call to return to work … has increased sharply,” said Simo Lushaba, head of the intervention team appointed by telecommunications and postal services minister Siyabonga Cwele and finance minister Nhlanhla Nene.

“We are fast moving towards full capacity shortly. This demonstrates that our projections of returning the Sapo operations to full capacity in the near future are in sight.”

He said 52% of employees had returned to work since the wage agreement with unions had been signed last week.

On Friday, Lushaba announced that a wage agreement had been reached with two of three recognised unions at Sapo.

The two unions — the South African Postal and Allied Workers’ Union (Sapawu) and the Democratic Postal and Communications Union (Depacu) — agreed to a 6,5% wage increase for the bargaining unit, which would be effective on 1 December.

Sapawu and Depacu represented 61% of employees at bargaining level.

Part of the agreement involved converting part-time and casual employees to full-time employees from 1 December, with full benefits becoming effective on 1 April, 2015. The full conversion would be completed within 24 months.

Lushaba said the Communication Workers Union, which represents 39% of the employees, had stuck to its demand of a 7,5% increase. — Sapa