EWN reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has denied reports claiming that President Cyril Ramaphosa told the labour union that Eskom would not be able to pay salaries next month.  

City Press on Sunday quoted anonymous sources in the union as saying that the cash-strapped power utility was battling to find money to pay staff amid a massive energy shortage.  Last week, the NUM met with Ramaphosa, energy minister Jeff Radebe and public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan to discuss ways to rescue the embattled parastatal.  Government has already afforded Eskom a R69 billion bailout, while it struggles to pay off its R430 billion debt.  While he dismissed the report, NUM president Joseph Montisetse did concede that Ramaphosa informed the union of government's decision to borrow money from the China Development Bank.  "The situation at Eskom is so severe that the government has to go out of its way to go and borrow money from the Chinese government to make sure that the salaries of workers are being paid throughout.  That is what the president said to us,” Montisetse indicated.

• Read the full original of Mia Lindeque’s report on the above at EWN

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page