Eskom employees have threatened to go on a full-blown strike should their salary demands not be met by their employers.
About 47000 Eskom workers took part in yesterday’s nationwide protest, demanding a 15% salary increase while the power utility is offering 0%.
In East London, more than 100 protesters stood outside Eskom’s Beacon Bay offices with placards that read: “Did Eskom workers influence [former CEO] Brian [Molefe] to loot?”
Another protester wrote: Eskom has enough power, why buy from expensive Independent Power Producers? (IPPS).
National Union of Mineworkers chairman Vuyisa Khonzani said it was the first time in history that Eskom failed to offer salary increases to employers.
“This is an insult to the workers. We have never seen a 0% and increase in one sentence.”
He attributed Eskom’s financial woes to corruption.
In February this year, the then Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown gave Eskom the green light to purchase additional power from 27 renewable energy IPPs, a move which unions said was costing Eskom billions of rands.
East London branch Numsa secretary Wandisile Pram said: “We find it very strange that they cannot offer the increase to the employees because the IPPS do not even go to the bargaining forum to even ask for an increase but they are already catered for an increase this year. The IPPs are going to cost Eskom R310-billion over a 20-year period.
“The IPPS which are not adding any value to the greed are going to cost R24.2-billion this year. We do not know who is benefiting from the IPPs,” he said.
The unionist said the workers were like a ticking time bomb.
“The CEO does not understand that he is fuelling fire because power stations are closed. He is insulting workers.
“The workers have tried so much to understand the corruption done by the previous leadership and they can’t take it anymore. The least that the workers were expecting is what is due to them,” he said.
“Eskom increased the price of electricity yet expect the workers to go and live with the old salary. We cannot guarantee that there is not going to be any total shutdown. As we speak we know that the head offices are looking for strike certificate and will go on a full-blown strike.”
Eskom spokesman Zama Mpondwana said the power utility could not afford to increase salaries.
Mpondwana said the power stations and other critical facilities continue to operate optimally in line with the contingency measures that the company had put in place to ensure security of power supply during “wildcat strikes”.
“There are, however, a few isolated incidents where some protesting workers tried to blockade the entrances of our power stations, but these situations have been quelled by the presence of the public order police. The situation remains tense but stable.” — bhongoj@tisoblackstar.co.za
WATCH | Strike threat over pay hike at #Eskom
Eskom employees have threatened to go on a full-blown strike should their salary demands not be met by their employers.
Eskom employees have threatened to go on a full-blown strike should their salary demands not be met by their employers.
About 47000 Eskom workers took part in yesterday’s nationwide protest, demanding a 15% salary increase while the power utility is offering 0%.
In East London, more than 100 protesters stood outside Eskom’s Beacon Bay offices with placards that read: “Did Eskom workers influence [former CEO] Brian [Molefe] to loot?”
Another protester wrote: Eskom has enough power, why buy from expensive Independent Power Producers? (IPPS).
National Union of Mineworkers chairman Vuyisa Khonzani said it was the first time in history that Eskom failed to offer salary increases to employers.
“This is an insult to the workers. We have never seen a 0% and increase in one sentence.”
He attributed Eskom’s financial woes to corruption.
In February this year, the then Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown gave Eskom the green light to purchase additional power from 27 renewable energy IPPs, a move which unions said was costing Eskom billions of rands.
East London branch Numsa secretary Wandisile Pram said: “We find it very strange that they cannot offer the increase to the employees because the IPPS do not even go to the bargaining forum to even ask for an increase but they are already catered for an increase this year. The IPPs are going to cost Eskom R310-billion over a 20-year period.
“The IPPS which are not adding any value to the greed are going to cost R24.2-billion this year. We do not know who is benefiting from the IPPs,” he said.
The unionist said the workers were like a ticking time bomb.
“The CEO does not understand that he is fuelling fire because power stations are closed. He is insulting workers.
“The workers have tried so much to understand the corruption done by the previous leadership and they can’t take it anymore. The least that the workers were expecting is what is due to them,” he said.
“Eskom increased the price of electricity yet expect the workers to go and live with the old salary. We cannot guarantee that there is not going to be any total shutdown. As we speak we know that the head offices are looking for strike certificate and will go on a full-blown strike.”
Eskom spokesman Zama Mpondwana said the power utility could not afford to increase salaries.
Mpondwana said the power stations and other critical facilities continue to operate optimally in line with the contingency measures that the company had put in place to ensure security of power supply during “wildcat strikes”.
“There are, however, a few isolated incidents where some protesting workers tried to blockade the entrances of our power stations, but these situations have been quelled by the presence of the public order police. The situation remains tense but stable.” — bhongoj@tisoblackstar.co.za
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