NUM said its members at three Eskom power stations were on strike, with more workers set to join them.
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NUM has around 15,000 members at Eskom, close to a third of its workforce.
The union on August 5 sent a letter asking its members at Eskom to suspend the labor action as discussions resumed, Paris Mashego, energy sector coordinator for NUM, said by phone Monday.
“And no one from Eskom is allowed to go on strike because we are defined as essential service providers”.
Mashego says the revised offer did not impress its members – with the strike resuming.
The Arnot, Matla, Duvha and Tutuka power stations will be affected by the strike, with about 1,000 members participating at this point, Mashego said.
“Everything at all our power stations is working accordingly”.
Eskom provides nearly all the power in Africa’s most industrialised economy, which is on the verge of recession and already grappling with a strike in the fuel sector that has caused some shortages.
Eskom did not believe that negotiations had collapsed, he said. “It has to give us another date to continue our final round of negotiations”, Phasiwe adds. The union has accused the utility of hiding behind that status and trimmed its pay demand to a 12 percent increase, with Eskom offering 7 percent.
NUM’s energy sector coordinator, Paris Mashengo, said that wage talks with Eskom were in deadlock over the weekend.
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“I am optimistic we will find a solution this year”, Johann Evertse, chief negotiator for AMEO told Reuters.
