This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
BL Premium reports that business, political parties and trade unions have decried the National Energy Regulator of SA’s (Nersa’s) “tough decision” to let Eskom implement a 18.65% price hike for 2023/2024, saying it meant hard-pressed consumers would pay more for electricity they did not receive due to increased rolling blackouts.
They claimed the decision was not sustainable and would force business owners to look at alternative sources of energy as they contemplated getting off the grid to remain competitive amid the worst power cuts yet. Nersa announced on Thursday its decision on Eskom tariffs for the next two years. The 18.65% tariff increase for 2023/2024 is about 40% of the 32% increase the power utility applied for as part of its fifth multiyear price determination. Nersa approved a 12.74% tariff increase for 2024/2025. Meantime, Eskom announced last week that stage 6 load-shedding would continue until further notice after 11 generators suffered breakdowns. Labour federation Cosatu described Nersa’s approval of the 18% tariff increase “insensitive and careless”. Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said: “This will be a devastating blow to workers and businesses struggling to survive in an economy that is still reeling from Covid-19 lockdowns and rampant inflation.” Theuns du Buisson, economics researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute, said they were of the view that Nersa should pay more attention to applications from private power generators and less attention to Eskom’s applications for more expensive power. “The time that Nersa spends every year to consider Eskom’s tariff increase application can be spent much better on policy review to allow new entrants to the power grid to supply their services. In the end, this is the only way SA would be able to emerge from the current energy crisis,” Du Buisson stated. The DA’s Ghaleb Cachalia said the Nersa-Eskom raid on consumers’ empty pockets was “unfair, unjust and cruel because it is asking consumers to pay more for electricity that they don’t have”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
- Lees ook, Eskom: Verbruikersopstand broei, by Maroela Media
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page