Bloomberg reports that tensions are rising at Eskom, with the struggling electricity supplier confirming protests at a number of power plants following a breakdown in wage negotiations.

Groups at six coal-fired stations “have blocked roads leading to some of the power stations, which hampers the movement of people and goods into or outside of the facilities. While some incidents of intimidation have been reported, the protesters are largely peaceful at this stage,” spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha indicated on Thursday. Some of Thursday’s demonstrators wore union gear, Mantshantsha said, adding that the police had been alerted. Eskom reached a deadlock with labour unions in pay talks earlier this week. The company’s last major wage negotiations in 2018 broke down into labour protests – considered illegal because the utility provides an essential service – that resulted in electricity shortages. A three-year deal was then signed for pay increases of as much as 7.5% annually. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) are the two biggest labour groups at Eskom.

• Read full original of the short report in the above regard at Engineering News
• Read too, Fears rise of more loadshedding as wage dispute protests break out at Eskom’s power stations, at IOL

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