Fin24 reports that Eskom’s ability to keep the lights on could be compromised with intimidation and road blockages “rife” at most of Eskom’s power stations and regional offices on Thursday morning.  

This was tweeted by the power utility’s spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe, who also tweeted that the power supply to Eskom’s head office in Sunninghill had “mysteriously” been cut off.  Six power stations rely on local coal supply, and these will be the most affected by the delivery stoppages.  Disgruntled workers belonging to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) are expected to hand over a memorandum to the parastatal’s management at the head office at lunchtime on Thursday, demanding 15% wage increases.  The cash-strapped utility has offered 0% wage hikes for the year.  Meantime, Eskom’s management team was holding an emergency meeting on Thursday morning to address the possibility of load shedding.  NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu, meanwhile, said police on Wednesday night fired rubber bullets to disperse workers who were gathered outside the power stations in Kendal, Thuthuka, Hendrina and Arnot.  One employee was apparently shot in the eye by a rubber bullet outside Arnot power station.

• Read this report by Tehillah Niselow & Sibongile Khumalo in full at Fin24
• Read too, NUM, Numsa unite against ‘common enemy’ Eskom, at The Citizen
• And also, Power utility can’t keep its own HQ lights on amid pay protests, at Moneyweb

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page