The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Thursday that wage talks with state-owned power utility Eskom had collapsed and it would ask its members for a mandate to strike.
“A strike is no longer an option, it’s a reality,” said Paris Mashego, the NUM’s chief negotiator at Eskom.
Eskom has said workers would face disciplinary action if they went on strike as the supply of electricity is protected as an essential service to keep the economy going.
The union still has to follow certain procedures, such as the engagement of a mediator, before a strike can be called. — Reuters