BusinessLive reports that Eskom started load shedding for the first time in years on Thursday night due to constraints to supply as a result of “acts of sabotage and intimidation” related to the labour unrest.”  

It activated stage one of the load-shedding exercise to prevent the national grid from total collapse.  At Thursday’s once-off lunch-time picket at Eskom’s head office, hundreds of workers demonstrated their unhappiness with the firm’s 0% wage increase offer.  Meantime, organised labour at the utility will be meeting with its board “soon” over failed wage negotiations.  National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) president Andrew Chirwa said the board had welcomed their request for a meeting to try and unlock the impasse that led to disruptions at various power stations.  This week, Numsa and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said a direct engagement with the board was necessary because that was where the Eskom management got its mandate of a 0% wage increase offer, which had angered workers.  A date for the meeting had not yet been set.  Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said the utility and its board were willing to continue engagements with unions.  

• Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive
• Read too, Eskom, workers’ strike plunge SA into darkness, at The Citizen

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page