CCMA intervenes in Eskom strike

Electricity pylons carry power from Cape Town's Koeberg nuclear power plant. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA ENERGY BUSINESS)

Electricity pylons carry power from Cape Town's Koeberg nuclear power plant. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA ENERGY BUSINESS)

Published Aug 10, 2016

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Johannesburg - The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will intervene in the ongoing Eskom strike.

This comes as 15 000 workers are set to join a strike that started on August 8, despite the utility on Wednesday obtaining a court order against the labour action.

Labour law considers Eskom an essential service and, as such, its employees cannot embark on industrial action.

In a statement on Wednesday, the CCMA said Eskom, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and Solidarity have all accepted its offer to assist in the Eskom wage dispute.

Director Cameron Sello Morajane confirmed that a senior commissioner has been appointed to facilitate the talks scheduled for Thursday.

Morajane further confirmed the CCMA will ensure that all options are explored in an effort to resolve the dispute.

Read also:  Eskom workers determined to strike

The utility, which supplies about 95 percent of power to Africa’s most-industrialised economy, has said it has contingency plans for a strike, and operations are proceeding as normal. Since the walkout started on Monday, the NUM again lowered its highest pay demand to 10 percent and Eskom has raised its offer to as much as 9 percent.

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