Solidarity draws up agreement for Eskom workers

By Tarryn Le Chat
18 May 2007

Solidarity, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) began to draw up an agreement in terms of which Eskom employees will have the right to strike.

Jaco Kleynhans, spokesperson for Solidarity says, “Although government regards Eskom as an essential service at which service delivery cannot be interrupted, Section 23 of the South African Constitution stipulates that all employees have the right to strike.”

An agreement has been drawn up to give Eskom workers the right to strike.

“Eskom maintained its original wage offer of 4 percent. If this continues, trade unions must have the right to strike. A 4 percent offer is simply unacceptable, and if Eskom does not change its position soon the negotiations will culminate in strike action”, says Kleynhans.

According to Kleynhans, trade unions want to finalise the right to strike before the commencement of final wage negotiations in June.