Johannesburg - The standoff between unions and Eskom at the Medupi power station in Lephalale, Limpopo, continues as the power utility struggles to keep the lights on.
Workers were refusing to return to work until they were paid a R10 000 bonus.
Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said on Thursday the standoff was detrimental for the completion of the long-delayed construction project.
“This strike is not doing Medupi any good. Nothing much is happening at Medupi as we speak,” he said.
The workers have defied a court order obtained by Eskom contractors on Friday to force them to return to work.
Castro Ngobese, spokesman for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), said managers at Medupi were paid bonuses for the completion of the power station’s unit six, while workers received nothing. NUMSA is the majority union at Medupi.
Phasiwe said the contractors indicated that NUMSA’s allegations about bonuses were not true.
“A task team has been formed to investigate these allegations over bonuses, which the contractors said are not true. The task team will complete its investigation soon,” he said.
Thousands of workers embarked on a strike last month over bonuses and accommodation. Some of them faced disciplinary hearings for taking part in an unprotected strike. Two weeks ago, NUMSA rejected a deal by Eskom contractors which allowed disgruntled workers to return to work while talks over grievances continued.
The power station was intended to provide Eskom with an additional 4 800 MW of power capacity, but the project had been delayed by about three years.
ANA