Sowetan writes that it’s a make-or-break week for power utility Eskom with its unions having taken back to their members the power utility’s latest wage offer of 6.2% at the weekend.  

Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said they were hoping an agreement would be reached and signed on Friday when the parties reconvened in Woodmead.  The three unions went into the latest leg of negotiations, initiated by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, with a mandate that included a demand for housing allowances and double-digit wage increases.  However, they received nothing else but a 6.2% “take it or leave it” wage offer from the cash strapped power utility to report back on.  Eskom did not commit on any of the other demands such as those relating to finalisation of the minimum service agreement, housing allowances and the discontinuation of the independent power producers.  This week will see the NUM, the biggest union at Eskom, convening its national shop stewards council on Thursday for more consultation over Eskom’s final offer.  The NUM and two other recognised unions at Eskom, Numsa and Solidarity, presented a joint 9% salary increase demand after meeting ahead of the negotiations and consolidating their mandates.

• Read more of this Sowetan report by Isaac Mahlangu at SA Labour News

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