Eskom increases wage offer to 6.7%

Negotiations between Eskom and union representatives over salary increases are expected to continue until late this afternoon, following the power utility’s revised offer of a 6.7% wage increase for 2018 earlier on Friday.

The unions rejected the previous offer of 6.2 percent. NUM, one of three labour unions says the talks have deadlocked on bonuses and housing allowance.

Num spokesperson, Livhuwani Mammburu says, “As we speak negotiations are continuing even if we are not happy with the new offer that was tabled. We just came back from launch to see if we can come up with something. The offer tabled like I said of 6.7% in the first year, 6% in the second year and third year it cannot be accepted by our members we have to say it now we can’t event take it to our members.”

Eskom has upped its wage offer to 6.7% as salary negotiations continued in Johannesburg on Friday.

Last week, the power utility offered a 6.2% increase for 2018 and 6 % for 2019 and 2020 which trade unions National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and Solidarity rejected.

Workers are demanding up to 9%. Spokesperson for Eskom, Khulu Phasiwe has lambasted unions for leaking information discussed in the negotiations.

“We as Eskom have gone into these negotiations with a view to influence and to be influenced and that’s what we are doing now, so it’s very unfortunate that some unions are coming out in the media and giving some kind of a blow by blow account as to what is going on inside there but from our end yes we have upped the offer by 0.5% taking the whole thing now to about 6.7%.”