Medupi construction still held up by strike

A labour strike by workers at South Africa’s vitally important power project at Medupi is now in its sixth week‚ with no immediate end in sight.

"Eskom‚ the contractors and organised labour are working together to find a way forward to get employees back to work within the next two weeks‚" Eskom said in a statement.

Contractors‚ who employ the protesting workers on site‚ "released their employees to go home" over the past long weekend. Said Eskom: "These employees vacated the Eskom accommodation and have to await further instructions from their employer on when to return to work. The aim of this is to facilitate the execution of the contractors’ remobilisation plans".

The unprotected industrial action began on March 25‚ and strikers have defied a court interdict as well as ultimatums issued by their bosses to return to work. Complaints include conditions at the hostels‚ a living-out allowance and completion bonuses.

"Violence and intimidation was experienced in the accommodation areas where these employees reside as well as en-route to the project site. This has resulted in employees that want to return to work‚ being prevented or intimidated from doing so‚" Eskom said. "The interventions by the Project and Contractor Security Teams‚ SAPS included‚ have managed to contain the situation‚ but it remains tense."

Last week‚ the police were called in to disperse workers who tried to block the road leading to the power station in Lephalale‚ Limpopo. Eskom said workers trying to report for duty were ordered off their buses by strikers.

The strike has resulted in construction delays on the Medupi Power Station Project.