OWN CORRESPNDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 11.00pm.
THE National Union of Metalworkers has declared a dispute with Eskom and the Public Enterprises Ministry over the potential loss of jobs arising from the restructuring of Eskom, SABC TV reported on Tuesday night.
Numsa spokesman Steven Nhlapho said that the restructuring would result in the loss of some 5000 jobs.
In an earlier statement, the union criticised Public Enterprises Minister Stella Sigcau for failing to attend a meeting on Tuesday to address the issue.
Numsa, in its statement, accused Sigcau of commissioning Eskom’s outgoing chief executive officer to handle the restructuring. Eskom had, at the same time, rejected the union’s restructuring proposals, which were aimed at long-term hjob security, Nhlapo said. In a statement issued in response, Eskom chief executive Allen J Morgan said talks between Numsa and the Public Enterprises Ministry had been postponed to October 29. “There is definitely no truth in the suggestion that the meeting was cancelled with the aim [of implementing] any restructuring decision and avoiding the unions,” he said. He accused Numsa of making “serious, damaging and potentially defamatory allegations, directly and by innuendo”.