Bonus, housing allowance 'hot potato' in Eskom wage talks
The three key trade unions in the wage dispute will present Eskom's latest offer to their members this week.
While the negotiations continue, representatives of NUMSA, NUM and Solidarity are also demanding bonuses and housing allowances.
"The big elephant in the room which is still a stumbling block, and that is the issue of bonus," says NUMSA's General Secretary Irvin Jim.
The talks have been on-going for weeks in Woodmead in Johannesburg, but trade union leaders are hopeful that there is progress.
The embattled parastatal presented unions with two options; sign a three-year agreement of a 7% increase for each year and an increase in housing allowance according to the CPI. The alternative is a 7.5% increment for the first year, and 7% for the next two years with no housing allowance.
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Union workers are expected to give their mandate to their representatives by the end of July, with the parties set to meet again on 27 July.
However, this hangs in the balance - depending the outcome of a top executive meeting at Eskom on Friday, 20 July, where a decision is reportedly expected over the pay out of bonuses.
"We are not hostile. Our members firmly believe that they have performed. Remember their performance depend on management, managing them making sure they are effective and therefore they expect to be paid their bonus at 12%," says Jim.
Solidarity's Deon Reyneke explains that unions are also patiently waiting for the power utility to pronounce on their other demands.
"We are also looking at the IPPs, we're also looking at the bloated top management, the salaries and bonusses they have been paid - that is part of our negotiations.