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Unions will meet with Eskom on Tuesday to give feedback on the power utility’s wage offer, says Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe.
Speaking to Fin24 by phone on Monday, Phasiwe was hopeful that the unions - Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) - would provide positive feedback following discussions with members.
The parties have been negotiating the wage for over two months. "We started on May 10, we started before the [soccer] World Cup – which has now ended – and we are still negotiating," said Phasiwe.
"At some point we need to agree or see if we must go to the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration)."
Phasiwe said it was important for management to focus on what was needed to turn the company around.
Last week the unions sent out a joint statement indicating that they had reached a critical stage in talks with Eskom and wanted to meet with Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and Public Enterprise Minister Pravin Gordhan, as well as the Eskom board, over the matter.
Eskom had initially offered a 0% increase due to its financial challenges, which unions did not take kindly to, and they briefly took strike action before Gordhan intervened.
In its latest offer, Eskom proposed a 7.5 % increase for the first year, followed by a 6.5% and 6.25% hike for the following two years, Fin24 reported.
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