Bloomberg News reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which is the largest trade union at Eskom, wants a 15% wage increase even as the utility fails to generate adequate electricity to meet the country’s needs, resulting in nationwide power cuts.

It has demanded the same raise for all workers, along with increases in allowances for housing and other benefits. Labour settled on a one-year deal with Eskom in 2022 following violent protests that intimidated some workers from reporting for duty and increased power shortages. Eskom employees are not allowed to strike legally, because the provision of electricity is considered an essential service. Solidarity, another labour union at the power utility, has submitted a demand for a pay increase of 3 percentage points above the average inflation rate. SA’s average inflation rate was 6.9% last year and the central bank projects that will slow to 6% for 2023.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Fin24

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page