Eskom all-out strike looms
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said it suspected Eskom wanted to take disciplinary action against its workers to justify mass retrenchments and dismissals, and were threatening a “massive strike” at the utility.
This comes after the wage negotiations between them reached yet another deadlock on Wednesday, when Numsa and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM ) met the power utility and allegedly accepted the latest revised wage offer, but refused to sign it.
The latest offer stipulated that workers would receive 7.5% wage increase in 2018, and 7% increase for the following two years. It also said it would give a once-off payment of R10 000.
According to Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, after canvassing its members on the offer, the union was about to sign the agreement when the power utility insisted it still wanted to take disciplinary action against workers who embarked on the illegal strike action.
Hlubi-Majola said: “We can’t sign the deal knowing the job security of our workers could be sacrificed. It was Eskom who had initially provoked the strike action by initiating the previous deal of a zero percent increase. Now they want to punish the workers by continuing with their disciplinary action? We reject that and refuse to sign until all charges are dropped.”
The union suspected the power utility had planned to do this all along, to excuse its intention of mass retrenchments.
NUM also refused to sign the deal and said it was extremely disappointed the relevant parties were not making progress in the negotiations.
NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said if the power utility continued to insist on disciplining their workers, the union would not sign any wage agreement until it removed the precondition of disciplinary action.
Irvin Jim, Numsa general secretary, said the union wanted to warn Eskom management to withdraw the threat of disciplinary action and dismissal against its members.
“That is why we have also resolved to call for a meeting next Monday between the board and minister Pravin Gordhan to deliberate on this matter with an intention to find a solution,” Jim said.
“We are hoping to meet the minister on Monday. If this fails, we will have to consult our members to determine whether to embark on protected strike action. We are confident the Labour Court will set aside its earlier order interdicting any strike.”
Numsa threatened to go on strike at Eskom over the ongoing wage dispute, saying the power utility was negotiating in bad faith. Solidarity is the only union that has signed the deal.