Categories: Business

Unions happy with Eskom wage offer

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), trade union Solidarity, and Eskom reached an agreement in the early hours of yesterday.

The two-year agreement entails salary increases ranging between 8.5% and 10%.

“We also agreed on a R3 000 housing allowance, which will see workers receive a 10% increase for now and next year.

“We are happy that workers received what was their final demand,” the NUM’s general secretary, David Sipunzi, told Saturday Citizen yesterday.

He said all their members who took part in the strike this week would be expected to report for duty from today.

Early this week several NUM members embarked on a strike, and hours later the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration announced that it would be facilitating further negotiations, which resumed on Thursday morning and lasted Friday.

The power utility welcomed the agreement, confirming it was signed by both the NUM and Solidarity.

“Employees will see a wage increase of between 8.5% and 10% this year and next year.

“In addition, the housing allowance will also be increased by R260 per month this year, and a further R140 per month next year, bringing the total housing allowance to R3 000 per month over the next two years.”

The other union representing workers, the metalworkers’ Numsa, was still considering whether to accept what had been agreed upon by the NUM, Solidarity and Eskom.

Solidarity’s deputy general secretary, Deon Reyneke, said “our members are more than satisfied with the excellent offer Eskom has put forward”.

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By Stephen Tau
Read more on these topics: EskomNational Union of Mineworkers (NUM)