SOPECO salary backlog reaches 63 months
Monday morning at the main sorting centre in Brazzaville, silence replaced the usual chatter. Many of the 1,200 employees of the Congolese Post and Savings Company, better known as SOPECO, say they have not seen a payslip since early 2019, a total of 63 missed salaries.
Their union, the Federation of Postal and Telecommunications Workers, FESY-POSTEL, says the wage bill now tops nine billion CFA francs, the equivalent of almost 14 million US dollars, a figure confirmed in an internal memo consulted by several media outlets.
Staff accuse management of lacking transparency, yet many avoid open confrontation, aware that SOPECO remains a strategic public firm linking all 12 departments by mail, parcels and financial services.
Households feel the daily strain
Gabrielle, a counter clerk in Pointe-Noire, says her two teenagers now share one meal at midday and skip dinner to keep school fees paid. “We have adapted, but it is not life,” she tells us, clutching faded receipts from micro-loans.
Without wages, many workers rely on small side hustles: mototaxi runs on weekends, reselling phone cards, or farming cassava outside town. Local economists warn that such informal survival tricks undermine productivity and worsen urban poverty indicators already weakened by the pandemic.
SOPECO’s medical scheme has also stalled, meaning staff buy drugs upfront. One nurse at Makélékélé hospital says unpaid postal employees routinely negotiate credit for basic antibiotics, a situation she considers “unsustainable for both sides”.
February sit-in echoed across Brazzaville
On 19 February 2024, hundreds in union vests formed a human chain outside the central post office, banging empty metal boxes instead of drums. The peaceful sit-in sought the resignation of director-general Véronique Oyali, accused by protesters of “notorious incompetence”.
Police kept a respectful distance and no arrest was reported, reflecting what observers saw as an unofficial truce between authorities and workers keen to protect a key public service. Traffic around Avenue de la Paix resumed within two hours.
The postal board acknowledged the demonstration in a brief statement promising “constructive dialogue and a mutually acceptable timetable” for settlement once an ongoing audit wraps up. FESY-POSTEL called the wording “encouraging but overdue”.
Government mediation seeks balanced outcome
Labour Minister Florent Ntsiba told journalists that a technical committee, including representatives from Finance and Digital Economy, is reviewing SOPECO’s cash-flow and possible bridge funding. “Employees’ rights are legitimate; sustainability is equally crucial,” he noted after a cabinet briefing.
Sources within the Treasury say one option would involve staggered payments over 24 months, coupled with a performance contract requiring SOPECO to modernise its logistics and expand mobile money products that already show promising margins.
Trade unionists insist any plan must start with at least three months paid upfront. “Families cannot wait for a business plan to mature,” argues FESY-POSTEL spokesperson Paul Mombé, adding that talks have so far remained cordial.
Postal challenges in the digital era
Like many operators worldwide, SOPECO faces declining letter volumes and rising competition from private couriers. According to the Universal Postal Union, average mail traffic in Central Africa fell 26 percent between 2018 and 2022, eroding traditional revenue bases.
SOPECO has tried counter-moves: offering domestic e-commerce deliveries, relaunching savings accounts with mobile alerts, and partnering with a local fintech to test digital stamps. Insiders say these pilots generated income, but not fast enough to cover the salary mountain.
Analyst Richard Massanga from the University of Brazzaville argues that reform is possible if the company leverages its nationwide footprint to distribute social payments, energy bills and even farming subsidies, a model Kenya Post mastered with state backing.
What comes next for workers
FESY-POSTEL plans a general assembly this Friday to review any concrete offer from management. If no timeline emerges, the union could launch a rotating strike, though leaders stress they would maintain minimum services for exams, pensions and medical dispatches.
Many employees keep faith that mediation will prevail. “We want to stamp letters, not protest banners,” says Gabrielle with a tired smile. For now, their red-and-white uniforms hang ready, waiting for the day salaries and morale are finally delivered.
Local solidarity eases immediate pain
Faith groups in Bacongo district have started weekly “solidarity baskets” where congregants drop rice, soap and cooking oil for postal families. Pastor Dieudonné Ngoma says the initiative began after seeing uniforms at Sunday service “faded but proudly worn despite zero pay”.
Several fintech start-ups have offered temporary digital wallets allowing workers to receive remittances without customary fees. While modest, the gesture highlights how private actors can plug gaps, a dynamic experts believe could blossom if SOPECO formalises partnerships under the proposed recovery roadmap.
Stakeholders remain optimistic
For now, eyes turn to the next tripartite meeting scheduled at the Ministry of Labour. Observers expect a carefully balanced statement that reassures employees, maintains investor confidence and aligns with national digital transformation goals championed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
