The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s (Numsa) head of collective bargaining, Stephen Nhlapo, warned today (2 June) outside Eskom’s Megawatt Park headquarters that the union will cause a “total blackout”‘ in South Africa.
This came as Numsa members were picketing outside the power utility’s headquarters, demanding a 12 per cent across the board wage increase, R1 000 house allowance and R100 standby allowance.
Nhlapo ominously declared, “There is not going to be load-shedding. It will be total blackout.”
Although Eskom has obtained a court interdict preventing Numsa members employed at Eskom to strike on the basis of Eskom being an essential service, Numsa’s General Secretary Irvin Jim warned that they will not be deterred by Eskom “hiding behind the law”.
Jim also said that Numsa is not afraid to take unprotected action.
Numsa’s engineering and metalworkers strike saw 200 000 employees from these industries downing tools on Tuesday, a week after the platinum strike of five months had come to an end.
Experts have predicted that the new strike will have dire consequences for the country’s already crippled economy.
