Power cuts bad news for business
LOAD shedding may last indefinitely as wage negotiations between Eskom and its protesting employees have hit a brick wall.
Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said operations had been disrupted owing to strike action, acts of sabotage and obstruction of access controls.
In Pietermaritzburg yesterday, Eskom staff had to evacuate its Mkondeni premises after a bomb scare.
Eskom deputy spokesperson Dikatso Mothae said: “The office was evacuated and the building was checked. However, nothing was found and workers returned to work.”
She could not say whether the bomb scare was linked to the strike action.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that the police’s K9 unit searched the building but nothing was found.
The incidents and strike action come after Eskom and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) failed to reach an agreement at the Central Bargaining Forum on Friday.
“The parties met and deliberated on the wages and the additional demand for bonuses, and jointly resolved to reconvene on Friday for further talks,” said Phasiwe.
Eskom has since issued a loadshedding schedule on its website and municipal platforms.
“Due to the industrial action, people are not at their workstations and others have been intimidated through acts of sabotage and obstruction of access controls, so that has affected productivity and operations at various Eskom sites.
“We have since implemented a ‘supply and demand’ system by checking the hourly demand and capacity of power utilised. We also warn that from this evening (yesterday), the risk of load shedding will be high for an unspecified period,” said Phasiwe.
The power utility said load shedding was being implemented as a last resort to protect the power system from total collapse.
Eskom said it had also sought the services of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to facilitate the engagement between the organisation and union leaders.
It said the police had also been called in to ensure safe access to power stations.
NUM is demanding that Eskom pay bonuses for the financial year 2017/18. The union’s spokesperson, Livhuwani Mammburu, said that the issue of bonuses was “a dealbreaker”.
“We remain adamant that the bonus payment is a deal-breaker. Without a bonus there will be no agreement as per our members’ mandate.
“As the NUM, we demand that Eskom pay the hard-working workers who averted load shedding their bonuses,” Mammburu said.
In a statement yesterday, the eThekwini Municipality said it was urging customers to reduce their consumption and advised residents and businesses to switch off geysers and non-essential appliances during peak hours (5am10am and 5pm-10pm).
Palesa Phili, chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said load shedding could potentially cause losses to business and have a knock-on effect on the city’s economy.
“Durban South is host to some of the country’s largest manufacturers, and the north of Durban is gaining momentum in terms of development. eThekwini cannot afford prolonged periods of load shedding and unplanned outages as this can negatively impact economic growth and can deter investment,” she said.
Phili said the chamber had not yet received any reports from members regarding disruption to their operations but they would continue to monitor the situation.
“The Durban Chamber encourages its members and the business community to ensure that contingency plans are in place and they are well equipped to ensure production continues,” she said.
Melanie Veness, chief executive of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business, said adding load shedding to the mix in a “depressed economy will undoubtedly be catastrophic for the numerous businesses that are battling to survive”.
“The sad reality is that, for many, this may prove to be the last straw.”