Eskom says although it has held a productive meeting with trade unions on the need for the power utility’s workers to return to work, it will take some time before the grid can be fully restored.
On Tuesday, the power utility announced that it was implementing stage six rolling blackouts. It is the second time the level has been reached in the country, after power cuts in 2019.
South Africans have suffered power cuts and rolling blackouts for over a decade, and the wage dispute has only worsened the situation.
Eskom spokesperson, Sikhonathi Matshantsha says, “It is important to note that while the workforce might have returned to work, the system will still take time to recover. As a result of the strike, maintenance work has had to be postponed and this backlog will take time to clear,” says Eskom spokesperson, Sikhonathi Matshantsha.
The National Union of Workers ( NUM) has encouraged its members who are on strike at Eskom to return to work on Wednesday.
Eskom and labour unions will resume wage negotiations on Friday when the power utility will table a new salary increase offer.
South Africans have expressed outrage at stage six of rolling blackouts:
Businesses and households are struggling to cope with the rolling blackouts. For Hammanskraal business owner, Mohludi Modiba the losses cannot be reversed.
“Oh, it’s affecting business, resources and equipment. It’s bad. It’s quite bad. Basically, I’m saying I’m not coping. It’s so frustrating. I’m late because of load shedding. Loadshedding is affecting my work.”
On Tuesday the Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, told the media that the national grid was constrained and strongly condemned what he termed the striking workers’ intimidation and lawlessness.
He expressed the hope that the striking employees would return to work ahead of the resumption of the wage talks.
“We are saying, if Eskom has agreed to go back to the wage negotiations, we are encouraging our members to go back to work. But you can understand and you know that under the circumstances if we then clinch the deal, we can then say this is an agreement in black and white. This is a reasonable offer that is on the table, that you mandated us to agree on,” says NUM’s General Secretary William Mabapa.
