Eskom has reached an "amicable resolution" with independent truck owners and coal transporters, which less than two weeks ago accused it of reneging on coal transport agreements in favour of big companies, the power utility said yesterday.

Protests by contracted coal movers, which are all small black business, disrupted traffic and coal delivery to Eskom power stations earlier this month. Truck owners, who delivered a memorandum to Eskom chief executive Jacob Maroga, said they were receiving pay based on tonnage delivered, but since Eskom had reduced their contracted tonnages, their businesses suffered.

Now Eskom and the Coal Transporters Forum have agreed on the tonnages to be transported by the Free on Truck segment - represented by the forum - of Eskom's Coal Transportation mix.

Free on Truck refers to the type of contract entered into with suppliers whereby Eskom takes responsibility for the transportation of the coal procured to power stations. - I-Net Bridge