Eskom revises wage offer, but it's still far from what unions demand

Power utility Eskom this week upped its wage offer from 4.5% to 5.25% during the final round of wage negotiations at the central bargaining forum.

The latest offer from Eskom, which has been battling debilitating stages of load-shedding since the beginning of the year, is far from the double-digit increases unions are demanding. 

In the offer seen by TimesLIVE on Wednesday, Eskom — in what it said was its final offer — proposed the increase in basic salary to be implemented with effect from July 1 until June 30 2024. 

Eskom said it could not agree with the revised demands of the trade unions regarding a number of areas.

In the case of a monthly housing allowance, Solidarity had demanded a 5% increase, Numsa a R1,100 increase, while the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) demanded the allowance be increased to R7,000. 

During the first round of wage talks in April, the power utility offered a one-year 3.75% increase.

NUM, the biggest union at Eskom, initially demanded a 15% wage increase. It has now reduced its demand to 11%. Numsa also initially demanded a 15% increase. 

A NUM negotiator, who attended the negotiations at the bargaining forum, said the union was looking for an increase above inflation, which Stats SA said was at 6.8% for April and 7.1% in March. 

The third and final round of wage negotiations, which began on Tuesday, is expected to be finalised on Thursday. 

TimesLIVE