Numsa threatens mass action on power plans
The battle lines are drawn according to the National Union of Mineworkers South Africa (Numsa) who said the unbundling of Eskom was tantamount to privatisation.
In a statement, Numsa generalsecretary Irvin Jim said the unbundling of Eskom would result in massive retrenchments and job losses.
“For the consumer, it will mean that electricity will cost more, and it will be even more inaccessible to the poor and the working class.”
Threatening strike action, Jim said the state had officially declared war on the working class in the country.
He said Numsa would mobilise all communities to join the union in defending jobs and Eskom.
“During the State of the Nation address, Ramaphosa confirmed that Eskom would be broken up into three parts, generation, transmission and distribution,” the statement said.
He also told parliament that “non-core assets” of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) could be sold.
“This is nothing more than privatisation through the back door and we reject it,” Jim said in the statement..
Jim added that last year’s 1% VAT increased coupled with increases in the petrol price, “will worsen the suffering of the working class majority and also the poor”.
We will fight for a socially owned and controlled renewable programme that will benefit communities and working class