The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has called on the government to halt the implementation of the just energy transition (JET) until all stakeholders are convinced that the transition would be "fair" and "just" to workers and communities.
NUM also demanded that the unbundling processes of Eskom be put on hold pending proper consultation.
This comes after the union's delegates agreed that the energy transition must be put on hold to allow fairness. The agreements came at the Just Energy Transition Summit that was held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on September 19–20.
They had also further agreed that the unbundling of Eskom must be halted as well. According to the union, delegates who attended the summit, observed and expressed that the current South African Just Energy Transition path was neither fair nor just.
NUM acknowledged climate change and said that it was a serious threat and would impact lives in various aspects.
It stated that the rapid pace of the energy transition will aggravate the country's developmental challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
"The NUM is highly concerned that about 25 000 direct jobs and 26 000 indirect jobs will be lost as a result of the current speed applied in this energy transition process," it said.
Furthermore, NUM mentioned that there was a clear lack of consultation with organised labour regarding the unbundling of Eskom, the drafting of the JETIP and the decommissioning of Komati power station.
"The decision to unbundle Eskom does not take into consideration Eskom’s core mandate of providing electricity in an efficient and sustainable manner to South Africa," it said.
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