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.
Eskom revises wage offer, but it's still far from what unions demand
Eskom's latest offer tabled on Wednesday is 5.25%, while NUM — the biggest union — is demanding an 11% increase
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