Business Maverick

Business Maverick

Unprotected strikes, protests at Eskom after wage talks deadlock raise load shedding risks

A sign outside the Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Medupi coal-fired power station in Lephalale, South Africa, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Eskom said on Friday that wildcat strikes and protests at nine of its power stations have caused ‘operational disturbances’, raising the spectre of even more load shedding. These actions come in the wake of wage talks deadlocking on Tuesday. Business Maverick understands that no unions are happy at the power utility but Numsa and NUM members are the main employees behind the strike. 

The 2022 winter of discontent is upon us. Eskom is deemed an “essential service” so any strike there is, by definition, unprotected – which means workers taking part in it can be fired.  

Yet thousands of Eskom employees have been striking and protesting after wage talks deadlocked on Tuesday. This in some ways has been the culmination of years of worker grievances at the state-owned entity, which is in the throes of restructuring and attempts to undo the damage inflicted by years of mismanagement and looting. 

Sources have told Business Maverick that members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have downed tools at most of Eskom’s plants. Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) are also said to be taking part in the protest action.  

No union has claimed responsibility and Eskom has not pointed fingers at any union. Business Maverick understands that other unions such as Solidarity – which represents mostly skilled workers – are also unhappy at the utility, but its members are not involved. 

“Over the past 24 hours Eskom experienced protests at nine of its power stations and other operating facilities, by some of its employees who have embarked on unprotected strike action following a deadlock in wage negotiations on Tuesday. These protests included incidents of intimidation of working employees and blockading of roads leading to power stations and other facilities, inhibiting the free flow of personnel and commodities required for the generation of electricity and smooth operations,” Eskom said in a statement on Friday. 

“While exploring possible solutions to unlock the deadlock on the wage talks, Eskom has reported these acts of illegality to the South African Police Service and requested the assistance of the SAPS and other security services in restoring order,” it said. 

Stage 2 load shedding is currently being implemented and the utility warned that the situation could trigger higher stages of rolling power cuts. 

In a letter to unions dated 21 June that has been obtained by Business Maverick, Eskom management issued a stern warning:

“It is reiterated that Eskom has been designated as an essential service. All Eskom employees are, as a result, prohibited from engaging in any form of industrial action and/or any action that retards or obstructs Eskom’s operations. Any industrial action that may occur will be unprotected. You are therefore called upon to engage your members to desist from participating in such planned unlawful activities. Employees that participate in such action would be carrying out an act of misconduct, and disciplinary action will be instituted against them.”

 

It went on to day that “any damages to property and/or production losses will be claimed directly from the unions.”

With this much bad blood between labour and management at Eskom, it’s probably a good time to stock up on candles. DM/BM

Gallery

Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • Corrie Andre Weavind says:

    I think the time has come to let private companies provide electricity to South Africa and let Eskom wither and die with all of its sycophants, thieves and hangers-on.

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

X

This article is free to read.

Sign up for free or sign in to continue reading.

Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better.


Nearly there! Create a password to finish signing up with us:

Please enter your password or get a sign in link if you’ve forgotten

Open Sesame! Thanks for signing up.

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Become a Maverick Insider

This could have been a paywall

On another site this would have been a paywall. Maverick Insider keeps our content free for all.

Become an Insider

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.