The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) has tabled a final revised wage demand to the SA Post Office (Sapo), the union said on Wednesday.

“We have tabled what we view as our final counter-proposal and call on management of Sapo to respond positively and with the necessary speed if indeed they are serious about resolving the current labour unrest,” CWU general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala told reporters in Johannesburg.

The union tabled a revised 7.5 percent wage increase backdated to April 1, and a further 0.5 percent from January 2015.

By April next year, it wanted an eight percent increase plus CPI (inflation).

The union had earlier demanded a 15 percent salary increase and conversion of casual workers into permanent employees within 16 months, as opposed to Sapo’s 30 months.

The union proposed Sapo convert 958 casual workers to permanent employees in a first phase, 772 in a second phase, and 332 in the final phase.

Tshabalala said members had mandated the union to revise its demand. If the proposal was accepted the strike could be over by Monday.

Union president Clyde Marvin said the Sapo has offered 7.5 percent with effect from December.

“We are responding to their letter. Their offer does not say anything about backdated increases,” he said.

The Sapo had until Thursday to respond to the revised demand. The union would send its demand to Sapo on Wednesday afternoon.

“We believe in immediate resolution of this stand-off and impasse between workers and management,” Tshabalala said.

He said the turmoil at the post office had continued for longer than anticipated and people had suffered.

“Critical mail has not been delivered, students have not received their study material, small businesses who used the post office have suffered, and patients have not received their life-saving chronic medication.”

The CWU said the government had to provide immediate financial help to the Sapo to rescue it from total collapse.

The union intended marching to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday and to Parliament in Cape Town on Friday. SAPA