ANA reports that Eskom on Monday vowed to take disciplinary action against its employees who had embarked on industrial action and damaged infrastructure even as the power utility and unions failed to reach an agreement in protracted wage negotiations.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) last week threatened to go on a massive strike at Eskom over the wage dispute, saying the entity was negotiating in bad faith. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said it would only sign a deal if Eskom removed the precondition of disciplinary action. But Eskom has not relented, indicating in a statement that those employees who had engaged in potentially criminal acts of destruction of property and sabotage were now outside the company’s jurisdiction and in the hands of the police. Furthermore, employees who had participated in unlawful action would be subjected to disciplinary hearings. “Eskom indicated that it remained committed to concluding the wage negotiations expeditiously and “advised the unions to sign the wage agreement so as not to further prejudice Eskom employees who await their salary adjustments.” The unions have requested a meeting with the minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan to try and break the deadlock, saying they would not resume talks with Eskom without the meeting.
- Read this report in full at The Citizen
- Read Eskom press statement in full at Eskom News
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