Striking Eskom Staff Return to Work, Power Utility Says the System Will Still Take Time to Fully Recover

• Striking Eskom workers are returning to the power utility following the protest action over wage negotiations
• Spokesperson of the state-owned enterprise, Sikhonathi Matshantsha, said the system will still take time to recover
• He said several employees were returning to work peacefully and that there were no incidents of protests

JOHANNESBURG - Following a positive meeting with trade unions, Eskom says its workers will start returning to work.

The power utility believes it will take some time before the grid can fully recover and electricity can be restored.

The country was subjected to Stage 6 loadshedding on Tuesday, 28 June due to the rising tensions at the state-owned entity. Eskom Spokesperson Sikhonathi Matshantsha said while the workforce might have returned to work, the system will still take time to recover.

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AfriForum seeks court action against Eskom workers engaging in unlawful protests following Stage 6 blackouts

SABC News reported that maintenance work has had to be postponed because of the strike and this backlog will take time to clear. He also confirmed that several employees were returning to work peacefully and that there were no incidents of protests.

Eskom and labour unions will resume wage negotiations on Friday, 1 July. National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) secretary-general William Mabapa told Fin24 that an offer from Eskom would be considered. The details of the offer were not disclosed.

South Africans believe that the problems at Eskom are here to stay, regardless of the wage agreements:

Duncan MacDonald said:

“So, will all the losses due to loadshedding be paid by the union and its members before the revised remuneration plan can be implemented? That would be an equitable outcome.”

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Thobani Qomond'olumantiyane Sithole posted:

“Can’t we get another company that can provide us with electricity? Eskom has failed shame.”

Tumisang Fentse Ofentse wrote:

“More excuses for loadshedding.”

Bushy Dederick Tune added:

“Eskom is blaming workers but loadshedding it’s been here for almost a decade.”

AfriForum seeks court action against Eskom workers engaging in unlawful protests, following Stage 6 blackouts

In a related matter, Briefly News previously reported that civil rights organisation AfriForum has threatened to take legal action against striking Eskom workers following the implementation of Stage 6 loadshedding on Tuesday, 28 June. The striking workers are allegedly intimidating and harassing their colleagues.

The strike has further hampered the already exacerbated power utility. As a result, AfriForum’s legal team has been instructed to bring an urgent application to the Pretoria High Court to compel law enforcers to act against the employees.

Source: Briefly News