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Irvin Jim steps in as Medupi unrest intensifies

Cape Town – Eskom's acting CEO met with National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim on Thursday to discuss issues at the Medupi power plant. Meanwhile, disgruntled workers continued to intimidate others from going to work on Friday, shutting down critical construction at the site.

Radio 2000 reported that police and private security officers used rubber bullets to disperse striking workers at staff hostels in Lephalale.

Acting Eskom CEO Zethembe Khoza met with Jim on Thursday evening to discuss the situation at Medupi, according to Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe.

Jim, together with expelled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, was supposed to speak at the Shop Steward Council to drum up support against the trade union federation's central executive committee.

“It was the first of many meetings with the Numsa leadership to resolve the issues at Medupi,” said Phasiwe. “It was just to meet to hear what can be done.”

Eskom’s Medupi leadership will meet with Numsa shop stewards on Monday, said Phasiwe.

Stay-away shuts down construction

Disgruntled workers facing disciplinary action at Medupi continued to intimidate workers from going to work, halting construction for a second day, according to Eskom.

The forced stay-away was brought on by about 1 700 blue-collar workers. They were either fired or given a final warning and barred from entering the construction site until their disciplinary hearing, after an illegal strike took place on March 25.

“Less than 2 000 of the 8 000 workers arrived for work today,” Phasiwe told Fin24.

On Thursday, the group blocked the road leading to Medupi with burning tyres and allegedly pulled workers from their buses.

READ: Burning tyres and intimidation at Medupi

“There were no blockages at our site today (Friday),” said Phasiwe. “It was happening elsewhere – they were stopping them in their residential areas.

“Right now, there are no issues at the site itself.”

Numsa demands not met

Numsa announced strike action on March 25 around bonuses and other issues, and since then has alleged that Eskom has not engaged with it properly.

However, Phasiwe said Eskom has already had three meetings with the unions at Medupi. “If we are ignoring them, then the meeting with the secretary general wouldn’t have happened,” he said.

“It’s in our best interest to resolve this issue on a project that has had so many delays,” he said. “We need to finish this project.”

The work on Unit 6, which is planned to commercially produce 800 megawatts by July, has not been delayed by the strike action and stay-away, said Phasiwe.

Medupi is the first new power station to add electricity to the grid in 20 years and has been hampered by delays and spiralling costs.

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