South African power utility Eskom on Thursday confirmed that a wage agreement had been reached with representative unions, thereby averting a threatened strike by its employees.
Eskom said the agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Solidarity had been struck late last night and follows a successful conciliation process by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
The parties agreed that Eskom would increase salaries by 10,5% across the board and to review the existing housing policy.
“This task will be delegated to a work group comprising equal representation from the employer and the unions and to be facilitated by a commissioner from the CCMA. The work group will review the existing housing policy, including a housing allowance and all other possibilities,” said Eskom in a statement.
The parties are meeting on Thursday at the CCMA to finalise the substantive terms of the agreement, which will be signed on Monday next week. — I-Net Bridge