Numsa hands over list of demands to Eskom
The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) picketed outside Eskom to voice their opposition to the proposed unbundling of the utility.
The two unions staged a lunch hour picket outside the Eskom headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.
A memorandum of demand was signed and handed over to management.
Numsa's Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says unbundling of the cash strapped utility will not solve its problems.
"Eskom's problems as we all know are related to the fact that it is hugely in debt. It is technically insolvent and by breaking it p to three parts you're not solving that problem.
"Its debt levels are - in part - as a result of the extremely high coal costs. It's also a result of the extremely high cost of renewable energy independent power producers and that its low sales volumes. Unbucnling Eskom will not solve those problems".
Hlubi-Majola says they also demanded that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) be cancelled and a review on the cost of coal.
She adds that the unions want new Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to vacate their offices.
"We also demand that those who run Eskom should be people who actually have the skills to run Eskom and this is why we reject the appointment of the new CEO (Andre) De Ruyter. And we also emphasise that the minister of state-owned enterprises Mr Pravin Gordhan must be fired.
"He has demonstrated that he hasn't the abilities to manage or state-owned entities. He has clearly failed in his mandate as the manager and leader of these SOEs, can we please find someone who has the ability to do this.”
Numsa hands over list of demands to Eskom by Jacaranda FM News on Scribd
