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Johannesburg - Irvin Jim, the secretary general of the country's largest union, the National Union of Mineworkers of SA (Numsa), says if the union's demands are not met, they may be left with no option but "to allow our members to liberate themselves".
He made the remark after announcing that Numsa's 220 000 members would down tools on Tuesday after last-ditch wage talks to avert a strike failed.
Jim said Numsa members would also picket the headquarters of Eskom on 2 July as part of a push for a wage increase of 12%, which is nearly twice the current inflation rate.
Going for Eskom
Eskom, which produces nearly all South Africa's electricity, is defined as an "essential service", making strikes by its workers illegal.
However, Jim said: "We're going for Eskom. There's no two ways about it.
"We're doing a picketing...it’s a build-up."
South Africa is still reeling from a five-month strike in the platinum mines that ended with a wage settlement last week, but not before dragging the economy into contraction in the first three months of the year.
Policy disagreements
The latest strike is likely to hit engineering firms such as Bell Equipment and industrial group Dorbyl, but the big fear is that a prolonged stoppage in car component factories could affect the important automotive sector.
A four-week strike in 2013 by more than 30 000 Numsa members at major auto makers cost the industry around $2bn.
The government has been trying to prevent any more damage to the economy, but its ability to sway Numsa is limited after the union - once a political ally of the ruling African National Congress - fell out with the party last year because of policy disagreements.
Numsa is South Africa's largest union with around 340 000 members, although only around two-thirds of them are planning to go on strike.
It has nearly 10 000 workers at Eskom, and if they down tools it could hamper the utility's ability to keep the lights on, already a daily battle because of razor-thin margins between power supply and demand.
He made the remark after announcing that Numsa's 220 000 members would down tools on Tuesday after last-ditch wage talks to avert a strike failed.
Jim said Numsa members would also picket the headquarters of Eskom on 2 July as part of a push for a wage increase of 12%, which is nearly twice the current inflation rate.
Going for Eskom
Eskom, which produces nearly all South Africa's electricity, is defined as an "essential service", making strikes by its workers illegal.
However, Jim said: "We're going for Eskom. There's no two ways about it.
"We're doing a picketing...it’s a build-up."
South Africa is still reeling from a five-month strike in the platinum mines that ended with a wage settlement last week, but not before dragging the economy into contraction in the first three months of the year.
Policy disagreements
The latest strike is likely to hit engineering firms such as Bell Equipment and industrial group Dorbyl, but the big fear is that a prolonged stoppage in car component factories could affect the important automotive sector.
A four-week strike in 2013 by more than 30 000 Numsa members at major auto makers cost the industry around $2bn.
The government has been trying to prevent any more damage to the economy, but its ability to sway Numsa is limited after the union - once a political ally of the ruling African National Congress - fell out with the party last year because of policy disagreements.
Numsa is South Africa's largest union with around 340 000 members, although only around two-thirds of them are planning to go on strike.
It has nearly 10 000 workers at Eskom, and if they down tools it could hamper the utility's ability to keep the lights on, already a daily battle because of razor-thin margins between power supply and demand.
