Tebogo Msimanga |
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) rejected Eskom’s latest wage offer which was tabled at the Centralized Bargaining Forum (CBF) earlier on Tuesday. Eskom has tabled a wage offer of 4,5% wage increase across the board, this is a shift from the initial offer of 3,75% increase.
NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim said Eskom also insist on a one-year agreement. “They have also not engaged fully with the other demands we have tabled and they want to defer them to other structures like the Central Consultative Forum (CCF) of Eskom”.
NUMSA’s core demands are a 12% wage increase, a two-year wage agreement, 6 months full pay maternity leave and 14 days paternity leave and housing allowance increase of R1100.
Jim said NUMSA have rejected the wage proposal made by Eskom management. “What they have basically proposed is a 0,75% increase and this is not even based on CPI. Eskom is not taking into account the impact of the cost of living on ordinary workers of Eskom. Our members at the CBF have been denied proper increases, whilst their benefits and conditions were slashed”.
Jim reiterated that the finances presented by Eskom management demonstrate that it can definitely afford to pay workers demands because they are not doing anything to intervene in the biggest cost drivers, which are the Primary Energy costs which have ballooned from R83 billion, in the 2017 financial year, to R155 billion in the 2023 financial year. “The cost of workers’ salaries and benefits have remained the same since 2016/17. Eskom must come back to the negotiating table with a genuine offer which speaks to the demands made by workers”. The talks will continue until the 25th of May.
