Trade Unions Reject Eskom's 4.5% Salary Hike Offer as Stage 8 Loadshedding Looms

• Eskom and trade unions cannot agree on the salary hike demands from employers
• The state-owned power utility came back to the negotiation table with a salary increase proposal of 4.5%
• There is concern that negotiations stalemate between Eskom and trade unions could lead to another protest from workers

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom is at loggerheads with trade unions after it proposed a salary increase of 4.5% to workers. The state-owned power utility initially offered workers a raise of 3.75%

The revised offer was rejected by Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), who want a double-digit salary increase.

Trade unions call for a 12% salary hike for Eskom employees

Trade unions originally asked for a 15% salary increase, but Numsa revised the percentage to 12%. According to EWN, NUM has lowered its wage demands from 12% to 11%, and Solidarity wants a salary hike of 10.1%.

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BusinessTech reported that in addition to a salary hike, employees are asking Eskom to increase benefits such as housing allowance, medical aid contribution, vehicle allowance and a 25% bonus every year.

Eskom workers also requested a once-off R1,500 essential worker or danger allowance and a R20 000 study benefit per child.

Eskom salary negotiations could trigger high stages of loadshedding

According to the Daily Maverick, the stalemate in Eskom negotiations could have a dire impact if workers decide to embark on a strike. Last year, Eskom workers protested after the power utility offered them a 7% increase.

The protest took place despite the restrictions placed on Eskom employees because they are deemed essential workers and are not allowed to strike.

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With Stage 8 loadshedding looming, an Eskom employees protest could trigger higher stages of rolling blackouts.

South Africans weigh in on Eskom employees asking for a salary increase

@DumisaniBhengu2 said:

"It will never end, will it?"

@NormaMansoor said:

"Can they maybe, just for once, look at their employer's salaries? Take it from there."

@That_Bridget1 said:

"These people are greedy, unpatriotic and inconsiderate."

@Khangale20said:

"I blame the so-called unions abo Irvin Jim etc."

Pravin Gordhan says South Africans should settle for an entire year of loadshedding, Mzansi wants the ANC out

Briefly News earlier reported that South Africans will have to learn to live with rolling blackouts for the entire year. This is according to Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan.

During his department’s budget vote speech in Parliament on Tuesday, 23 May, Gordhan stated that ending loadshedding will likely happen in March 2024, reports SABC News.

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“We now know as a population and as an economy to settle for loadshedding of a significant order until the end of the year at least," said Gordhan.

Source: Briefly News