Electricity strike threat

Thousands of employees from the South African electricity parastatal, Eskom downed tools on Tuesday and embarked on a national strike following a wage dispute with the electricity giant, media reports said. According to reports over 20,000 workers are expected to participate in the strike action. Unions are calling for an 11 percent increase for the lowest paid workers and 9 percent for the highest paid. Eskom has offered 9 percent for the highest paid and seven percent for the lowest paid.

Meanwhile, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (COSATU) said on Monday that it fully supported the strike. “We agree with the Eskom unions that the management have adopted a mischievous, arrogant and union-bashing approach to the wage talks,” COSATU said in a statement. “The utility had imposed a wage increase that would keep many of its workers in poverty.” COSATU warned that company’s planned restructuring as contained in the Eskom Conversion Bill would lead to slower electrification and higher tariffs. “It is now clear that it (the Bill) is also leading Eskom to adopt a tough policy on wages in order to attract investors. COSATU insists that workers will not pay for the restructuring of Eskom with retrenchments or poverty wages,” the union said.