THE THREAT of power cuts during the World Cup surfaced again yesterday following a decision by thousands of workers employed by South Africa’s electricity supply company to reject their latest pay offer in favour of strike action.
Officials from the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Solidarity joined their colleagues at the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in rejecting Eskom’s latest offer of a 8.5 per cent pay rise and a €110 monthly housing allowance. The three unions represent the majority of the 32,000 workforce employed by the power utility company.
NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said despite the fact that embarking on industrial action next week may be illegal because electricity supply is considered an essential service under the Labour Relations Act, their members and workers affiliated with Numsa had decided to down tools.
Solidarity has yet to indicate what action it will take following its rejection of the Eskom package.
“They’ve taken a decision to go on strike. They will mobilise [Wednesday] and go on strike from next week,” he said, before adding the union would deal with the issue of the strike’s illegality when it had to. Eskom human resources managing director Bhabhalazi Bulungu told reporters the public utility still held out hope of meeting the unions and coming to an agreement, but if that failed, there were a number of options open to them.
“There are many options we can do. We can go to court again for an interdict. We will continue to talk to them. We will talk to the highest leadership in the [Eskom] board. We will go to the chairman of the board. We talk to the minister [of public enterprises],” he said.
Mr Bulungu said if there were strikes, Eskom would be prepared to ensure electricity was available. “We will take measures to ensure the security of the supply,” he said.
Earlier this month the unions were looking for an 18 per cent pay increase and a €370 monthly housing allowance, but they have reduced their demands to a 9 per cent wage increase and a €235 housing allowance. Eskom have revised their current offer of 8.5 per cent up from 5.5 per cent.
Mr Seshoka said NUM would have been willing to compromise on the wage increase if management would accede to their housing allowance demand. “If you want [us to accept] 8.5 per cent then the housing allowance has to be R2500 (€235),” he concluded. Analysts believe the unions are using the threat of strike action during the World Cup as a bargaining chip.