Eskom workers demand salary hikes, stage 8 load shedding looms

Eskom workers demand a 12% salary increase and other benefits as stage 8 load shedding looms in the country.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has rejected Eskom’s revised salary hike of 4.5% – up from its original offer of 3.75%.

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ESKOM WORKERS DEMAND 12% WAGE INCREASE

The union said Eskom has the money to properly compensate its workers, arguing that the recent 18.5% tariff hike granted by the National Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) could be one of the avenues through which the utility can do so.

Meanwhile, Numsa has revised its wage increase demand from 15% to 12%.

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Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, a spokesperson for Numsa, told ENCA that Eskom had not engaged fully with the other demands on top of the salary increase.

On 19 April, Numsa joined the National Union of Metalworkers (NUM), and Solidarity demanded a 15% increase for Eskom employees.

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DEMANDS BY THE WORKERS UNIONS

The original demands to Eskom on top of the now 12% wage increase include:

• Housing allowance to be raised to R7,000, and employees to be allowed to buy houses anywhere in the country;
• Medical aid to shift to 80% (20% contribution by employees);
• Cellphone allowance of R1,000;
• R1,500 electricity allowance;
• Once-off R1,500 essential worker or danger allowance, as well as a separate voltage work allowance on a sliding scale;
• Performance bonus set at 25% of annual salary;
• R20,000 study benefit per child; and
• R10,000 car allowance through Eskom’s so-called vehicle X-scheme.

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Hlubi-Majola noted that the union does not want any of the power stations to be closed. However, Eskom must also address the worker’s demands for increased medical aid contributions and extended maternity leave.

“What they (Eskom) has basically proposed is a 0.5% increase, and this is not based on CPI; Eskom is not taking into account the impact of the cost of living on normal workers.”

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