Labour: Eskom increase angers workers

Published Jan 20, 2014

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Labour

Eskom increase angers workers

Threats of destabilising Eskom and defying the rule of law surfaced at the weekend as workers’ tensions boiled over after the announcement that they were getting increases of only 6.3 percent on their salary packages. As some unions representing workers at the power utility said they were yet to study the decision of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA said at the weekend that the union would adopt measures that put pressure on Eskom this year because the arbitration process had clearly failed the workers. – Londiwe Buthelezi

Politics

Ramphele pans racial rhetoric

Agang SA’s leader, Mamphela Ramphele, had warned the government of the growing inequalities as a result of employing racial rhetoric and tribalism to further self interest, she said at the weekend. She spoke after two civil organisations called for the exclusion of Indians from the broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) policy. The Mazibuye African Forum and Imbumba Business Group in Durban have called on the government to remove Indians as beneficiaries of BEE, employment equity and affirmative action as they had benefited from apartheid and were already over-represented in workplaces. Ramphele said: “It’s ironic that, whereas the need for black solidarity unified Indians, Africans and coloureds during the fight against oppression, divisive ethnic labels are now being dusted off and used to exclude others from doing business to secure privileges for the few.” – Nompumelelo Magwaza

Water

Areva offers plant to Namibia

Areva, the largest builder of nuclear reactors, had offered to sell its N$3 billion (R3bn) desalination plant in Namibia to the government, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. Areva would retain a 10 percent to 20 percent stake in the plant to guarantee water supply to the French company’s planned Trekkopje uranium mine, said the person who asked not to be named because the offer had not been made public. Namibia’s government had not yet responded to the offer made through state-owned utility Namibia Water Corporation, the person said. Julien Duperray, a spokesman for Areva, was not available for comment. – Bloomberg

Transport

Theron quits at e-toll company

The chief operating officer of ETC, the company tasked with collecting e-tolls in Gauteng, had resigned, the SA National Roads Agency confirmed on Friday. “ETC has made us aware of Ben Theron’s resignation,” spokesman Vusi Mona said. – Sapa

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