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Johannesburg - Trade union Solidarity on Thursday said a recent poll of its members employed by Eskom showed that 62% of
Solidarity members do not see a long-term future for themselves at the power utility.
"The problem is that the skilled workers at Eskom are the ones who want to leave," said Solidarity deputy general Dirk Hermann.
"This could lead to a skills crisis for Eskom during a time in which skills are needed for expansion," Hermann warned.
The trade union said wage negotiations between Eskom and the trade unions Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers and the National Union of Metalworkers South Africa continued until late on Tuesday night.
This is after union members on Tuesday set some conditions for accepting an offer made by Eskom.
Solidarity said the parties would try to solve outstanding issues by Monday next week.
But Solidarity warned that a settlement would however not resolve the labour relations crisis within Eskom and that the rift between Eskom management and employees is still serious.
Despite Eskom's improved salary offer, about 89% of Solidarity members at Eskom have indicated that they still believe that there is a rift between Eskom management and employees.
"If management does not make a serious effort to mend this rift, a large number of experienced employees will leave the company. This will definitely thwart attempts to find a solution to South Africa's electricity crisis," cautioned Hermann.
According to the poll, 93% of the respondents feel that Eskom does not appreciate the work they do and 95% feel that Eskom management does not do enough to retain skilled workers at Eskom.
"The Eskom employees are succeeding in keeping the electricity network in South Africa stable, despite extremely difficult circumstances. They are actually the unsung heroes of the South African labour market and they deserve more recognition from the company's management.
"While Eskom's top management give themselves a salary increase of 25%, the workers are the ones who have to ensure that South Africans enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply," said Hermann.
- I-Net Bridge