Num, Numsa Say Eskom Employees Have Rejected the Power Utility's 7% Wage Increase Offer

• The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers(NUM) say they are yet to strike a deal with Eskom
• Eskom recently offered employees a wage increase of 7%, however, workers have rejected this deal and want a double-digit increase
• South Africans are unhappy with Eskom employees for rejecting the offer and have stated that the offer on the table is more than generous

JOHANNESBURG - Trade unions National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have denied striking a wage deal with Eskom as Minister Pravin Gordhan previously stated.

Eskom employees have rejected Eskom's new offer of a 7% wage increase and are expected to return to the negotiation table with Solidarity and the Central Bargaining Forum (CBF) on Friday, 1 July.

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According to Fin24, Num and Numsa members are only willing to accept a wage increase that has a double-digit percentage. The unions also stated that Eskom has not been willing to engage with members on their other demands as well.

An internal document seen by the publication indicates that trade union members have requested Num and Numsa to provide transportation to Eskom's head office, Megawatt Park in Johannesburg on Friday.

On Tuesday, 28 June Eskom plunged South Africa into loadshedding Stage 6 due to unlawful protest action taken by employees. The following day Gordhan held a media briefing in which he stated that Eskom and trade unions had reached wage agreements and workers would return to work on Wednesday, reports EWN.

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South Africans share their thoughts on Eskom workers rejecting wage offer

@makhanip said:

"The company is effectively bankrupt and survives on Government handouts i.e. taxpayers. employees are overstaffed (40%) and overpaid. The utility can't deliver the energy required. 7% is more than generous. Let's assume for a moment that Eskom had competition. It would literally close."

@SUL_humanist said:

"Good, they must continue to strike. If the entity can pay so much to De Ruyter, clearly there's money to waste. If De Ruyter doesn't come to work, nothing happens. But when these people don't, we get load shedding apparently. So pay the people that matter, the workers."

@JohnWickwaMams said:

"Aowa guys!!! 7% under these economic conditions is much welcome and acceptable...who is advising NUm and Numsa? These unions are anti-black, they behave in an antirevolutionary manner."

@pjulies24 said:

"These people are very well paid. This is just greed!"

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@22_saying said:

"They should be extremely thankful for 7%. But we'd rather cripple an already fragile economy for unsustainable increases. Due to that same economic factor, most South Africans can only dream of 7%."

Minister Gwede Mantashe says he can't be blamed for loadshedding as the DA calls for his dismissal

Briefly News previously reported that the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe is refusing to take the blame for Eskom's electricity crisis stating that it would be disingenuous to blame the national government for loadshedding.

Eskom announced on Tuesday that South Africa would be going back and forth between Stages 2, 4 and 6 due to unsanctioned protest action by employees.

The Democratic Alliance harshly criticised Mantashe and the Minister of Public Enterprises for the mess Eskom finds itself in. The political organisation even called for Mantashe to lose his job, according to EWN.

Source: Briefly News