“Following a 14-hour marathon wage negotiation process that was brokered by the CCMA until the early hours of this morning, both NUM and Solidarity have signed a wage increase of between 8.5% and 10%, with the lowest paid workers getting a 10% pay rise for the this year”, described Eskom spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwe.
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NUM national spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu, told Fin24 the union was not aware of the interdict when it called a national strike, following its national shop steward council meeting on Tuesday.
The workers began the strike after power utility Eskom rejected their demand for pay increases between eight to 10 percent, and a 3,000 rand (225 U.S.dollars) housing allowance.
Solidarity and the National Union of Mineworkers have signed agreements with Eskom.
The Solidarity union, whose members were not on strike, said its members had accepted Eskom’s latest offer.
“We have a working relationship with Eskom to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances”, Sheik said. Numsa will go back to communicate with their members first, said Phasiwe. But the union was open to negotiations, Vuyo Bikitsha, electricity sector coordinator for Numsa, told Fin24.
“We did not experience any significant operational issues as a result of the strike”, Telkom spokeswoman Jacqui O’Sullivan said.
“They have no job security”. These workers have been excluded from the benefits of the wage negotiations, he said.
“NUM is now busy calling on its members to return to work and we’re hopeful that by Monday everything will be back to normal”.
NUM members’ right to strike is enshrined in the constitution of South Africa, he noted.
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The court order prevents certain workers from striking, according to the “minimum service determination”, said Bikitsha. “Our members will now be able to get on with their work as usual”. In terms of the agreement, strike action should not continue.
