Moneyweb reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity came to an agreement with Eskom on Tuesday for a 7% wage increase, costing Eskom an extra R1 billion.

Both Eskom and Numsa confirmed the signing of the one-year wage deal. The long-awaited agreement comes after a strike by essential service workers at Eskom saw the power utility having no option but to implement Stage 6 load shedding last week. Apart from the 7% wage bump, Eskom workers have also won a R400 increase in the housing allowance as well as the reinstatement of certain conditions of service. “As Numsa we are pleased to have finally resolved this round of wage talks, particularly given the difficult circumstances that we faced. The conditions of service which were unilaterally withdrawn, and which caused so much pain to our members, have been restored. We have also secured an improvement from last year, after Eskom imposed 1.5%,” the union said in a statement. Eskom has voiced expectations that workers who remained absent from their duties would return to work on Wednesday. However, the NUM’s general secretary Makgabo Mabapa said that although the union echoed the call for all members to return to work, he could not confirm when they would do so. Eskom has been requested not take disciplinary action against workers who failed to come to work. However, should Eskom decide to follow through with disciplinary action, both Numsa and NUM leaders have vowed to represent workers against such action.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akhona Matshoba at Moneyweb
• Read too, Unions sign 7% Eskom wage offer, at Engineering News

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