NUM says 1 000 members now on strike at Eskom – another 13 000 to follow

By Paul Burkhardt

(Bloomberg) — The National Union of Mineworkers said some of its members have started a strike over wages at South Africa’s Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s power plants after frustration over negotiations.

Eskom LogoThe union on Aug. 5 sent a letter asking its members at Eskom to suspend the labor action as discussions resumed, Paris Mashego, energy sector coordinator for NUM, said by phone Monday. After little progress was made over the weekend, NUM decided to commence with the strike, he said.

The union represents about a third of the utility’s 42,000 employees. Eskom has said it has contingency plans for a strike, which is prohibited by labor law because power delivery is considered an essential service. The union has accused the utility of hiding behind that status and trimmed its pay demand to a 12 percent increase, with Eskom offering 7 percent. South African inflation quickened to 6.3 percent in June.

“As far as we know there is no strike today,” Khulu Phasiwe, an Eskom spokesman, said by phone. “It’s too early to say” what the effect of any such action will be, but workers are required to report for duty, he said.

Read also: Eskom’s pro-nuclear agenda hits new low – deluded attack on renewables

The Arnot, Matla, Duvha and Tutuka power stations will be affected by the strike, with about 1,000 members participating at this point, Mashego said.

Wage strike starts at S.Africa power utility Eskom, supplies stable

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Workers downed tools Monday at three South African power stations with more set to follow as a wage strike began at state-run utility Eskom, but the company said its operations had not yet been impacted and branded the stoppage illegal.

Paris Mashego, NUM’s energy sector coordinator, told Reuters that wage talks with the utility were in deadlock over the weekend. Eskom provides almost all the power to Africa’s most industrialised economy but it was not immediately clear what impact the strike may have on its ability to keep the lights on.

Zapiro's perspective of the top team at the State-owned utility Eskom. More of his work at zapiro.com
Zapiro’s perspective of the top team at the State-owned utility Eskom. More of his work at zapiro.com

An Eskom spokesman said operations had not yet been impacted and reiterated the utility’s view that its members are prohibited by law from striking.

“Across all of our 27 power stations everything is operating as normal at this stage,” spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said.

“And no one from Eskom is allowed to go on strike because we are defined as essential service providers. Technically anyone who is not at work today will have to explain themselves to their bosses,” he said.

He added that Eskom did not feel that negotiations had collapsed. The utility is offering pay hikes of 7 to 9 percent while NUM is looking for increases ranging from 12 to 13 percent.

Read also: Lower demand, so Eskom kicks against Renewable IPPs. But silent on nuclear.

Phasiwe also said NUM members early on Monday morning had blocked roads leading to the Arnot power station east of Johannesburg but police had been called in and the roads were now clear.

NUM has around 15,000 members at Eskom, close to a third of its workforce.

The stoppage coincides with a wage strike by around 15,000 workers in the petrochemical industry that has led to some shortages and was entering its second week on Monday.

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