The workers also want their manager dismissed.

The Namibian has learned that the workers are threatening to down tools because interventions by the Managing Director, Johan Classen, and Board Chairman Sebby Kankondi have failed to defuse the situation.

The workers, 24 drivers and 10 cargo handlers, are incensed because the State postal utility allegedly forced them to sign the new contract on November 1.

"Management is taking advantage of the high unemployment situation in the country... they forced us to sign this new contract, and those who declined were threatened with immediate dismissal," charged one of the aggrieved workers, who preferred not to be named.

The workers claimed that the new contract was a brainchild of the acting Manager of the NamPost Courier Services, Jeffrey Bailey, whom they accused of not acting in their interest.

But Bailey said he was not aware of the workers' dissatisfaction as they have not brought the issue up to him.

"That is now news to me, as far as I am concerned they [the workers] are happy with the new contract because we discussed and reached some agreements," he told The Namibian.

The workers moaned that conditions in the new contract have left them worse-off hence they wanted the old contract to be reinstated.

They further claimed that as per the new arrangement long-distance drivers are longer given assistant drivers, a situation they say expose them to the risk of accidents when they are tired given that they mostly travel at night.

According to the old contract, the long distance courier drivers were only paid N$13 per hour plus a monthly transport allowance of N$240.

While in the new contract they now have a fixed salary of N$1000 plus N$240 for transport per month, N$150 per trip and N$0.10c per kilometre travelled.

They said that they were better off with the old contract because on average they could make up to N$3 900 as they worked more hours, while with the new contract the average they receive amounts only to N$2 340.

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