Share

Cosatu strike won't hit Eskom, Transnet

Cape Town - The countrywide strike on Wednesday will not affect electricity and train services, Eskom and Transnet said on Tuesday.

Tade union federation Cosatu is embarking on a massive nationwide strike, which includes 34 marches. It is being supported by several other unions.

Eskom spokesperson Hilary Joffe said the majority of Eskom’s workers do not belong to Cosatu-affiliated unions and electricity is an essential service, therefore disallowing its staff from striking.

“The National Union of Mineworkers (Num) is probably the largest trade union representing Eskom workers, followed by National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and Solidarity,” said Joffe.

Both Num and Numsa are Cosatu affiliates.

“Eskom employees, however, are not permitted to participate in Wednesday’s planned protest action/stayaway because electricity is designated as an essential service,” Joffe said.

In terms of Section 77(1) of the Labour Relations Act (the section under which the protest is being held), only employees who are not engaged in an essential service or a maintenance service have the right to participate in protest action.

Mboniso Sigonyela, Transnet spokesperson, said about 45% of Transnet workers belong to unions affiliated to Cosatu.

“We have mitigation measures in place to address any disruptions caused by the strike,” Sigonyela said.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.00
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
24.15
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.64
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
+0.4%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.4%
Platinum
905.16
-2.0%
Palladium
1,006.63
+0.1%
Gold
2,154.73
-0.3%
Silver
24.92
-0.5%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
65,996
-0.4%
All Share
72,197
-0.3%
Resource 10
53,320
0.0%
Industrial 25
99,852
-0.6%
Financial 15
16,590
-0.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders