Eskom is expected to make R10 000 once-off payments to workers on Friday after the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) signed a salary increase agreement.

The agreement, which took more than three months to negotiate, was signed on Wednesday evening. Sowetan has learnt that Eskom has also given the unions an assurance that although action will be taken against some of the employees who embarked on industrial action there will be no dismissals.

This comes after the state-owned power utility argued that the protest action earlier this month had led to power system constraints and the implementation of load shedding.

The salary increase agreement, which was agreed on more than two weeks ago, could not be signed as the two unions first wanted an assurance that their members would not be fired.

"A once-off cash payment of R10 000 after tax for all employees… will be made within 48 hours of the signing," said NUM's spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu.

The agreement, which will result in workers pocketing a 7.5% increase this year and 7% in the next two years, will be backdated to July 1. Mammburu said the agreement will also result in an increase in housing allowance in each year of the agreement.

Irvin Jim, the secretary for Numsa, said: "We started at 0% and thanks to our efforts, we have secured an increase. We are also grateful to the negotiating team which worked tirelessly to resolve the impasse."

Eskom group executive for human resources Elsie Pule said: "Eskom wishes to thank all the parties involved in the negotiation process for their endeavour to find an amicable solution. The conclusion of these negotiations enables us to firmly focus on the Eskom of the future and building a sustainable business to power the nation and grow the economy.”