BusinessLive reports that wage negotiations at Eskom got off to a rocky start on Tuesday when the cash-strapped power utility rejected the majority of the unions’ demands and instead tabled proposals aimed at changing the conditions of service.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) are demanding a one-year, 15% wage increase. In an 18-page document, Eskom dismissed most of the unions’ demands and tabled a host of proposals it wants the unions to agree to before tabling a wage offer. “Provided that the union[s] agree to all the proposed changes as per the Eskom conditions of service, and the Eskom response to the various union-related demands, Eskom is not, at this stage, in a position to table a possible offer in terms of a percentage increase to basic salary as this is dependent [on] the union responses to the above,” the utility indicated. In a communiqué to members, the NUM’s Khangela Baloyi lashed out at Eskom for going to the negotiations “guns blazing”, saying: “Our analysis of the first day of negotiations is that the employer wants to collapse the negotiations.” He went on to indicate: “The [utility] has offered 0% without pronouncing it. We were told we need to first sell your conditions of service before it pronounces a salary increase. We are saying no to the eroding of the conditions of service.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page