The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it is awaiting the formal tabling of an improved wage offer from Eskom.

The electricity utility is said to be willing to increase its wage offer to 7% when it meets trade unions for renewed negotiations on Friday in a bid to entice wildcat strikers back to work and to reduce higher stages of load-shedding.

NUM national spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu on Thursday rejected a report that it and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) had rejected this offer.

“We have never revealed an offer of 7% to anyone [our members]. What we know is that there is an offer that will be presented in the central bargaining forum tomorrow [Friday]. So we have never rejected any 7% as the two unions. That is a lie.”

An improved wage offer “is still going to be presented — it has not been revealed to anyone. An offer is there, but it has not been revealed to the public or anyone. We don't know where they got that 7% they say has been rejected by unions, we have never rejected anything. They must stop peddling lies on behalf of us.”

TimesLIVE