UP TO 16,000 workers at South Africa’s power utility company Eskom are threatening to down tools tomorrow if their wage demands are not met – a move that could adversely affect electricity supply during the World Cup.
Although electricity is declared an essential service under the Labour Relations Act, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and other representative bodies have warned that unless a 15 per cent wage increase demand is met they will strike.
While World Cup stadiums in South Africa have back-up power generators many hotels, restaurants and bars could be plunged into darkness if an all-out strike occurs.
Talks between Eskom and the unions are deadlocked, with the power utility company offering a wage increase of seven per cent.
Eskom has the power to seek an interdict through the courts against any strike action by its employees because of electricity’s essential service status. However, union representatives have warned they are willing to fight for the right to strike through the courts, and are insisting their demands be met by today.
Elsewhere, two Dutch women have appeared in court over an alleged ambush marketing stunt involving 34 other women at the Netherlands versus Denmark game on Monday.
The case has been postponed until next Tuesday, but it is understood the charges relate to the women stripping down to orange minidresses that had the label of Dutch brewing company Bavaria on the hem.
Fifa is very protective of its marketing rights and Budweiser, which has paid a huge sum of money for the right, is the only beer company allowed to advertise inside stadiums during games.
Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verhagen said the arrest of Barbara Castelein and Mirthe Nieuwpoort for their marketing stunt was “outrageous” and “a disproportional reaction,” to their alleged offence.
“It is outrageous that the two women have a jail term hanging over their heads for wearing orange dresses in a football stadium,” Mr Verhagen said.
Meanwhile, 17 Argentinian football fans are to be deported from South Africa on suspicion of being troublemakers. The men were detained in Pretoria yesterday following an early morning raid on a premises in the city where 165 football fans were staying.
The 17 men are on a list of 800 known hooligans barred from going to matches in Argentina that was given to the South African police by their Argentinian counterparts ahead of the tournament.
Police said the men had “behaved in a disorderly fashion on a number of occasions”.