Numsa Slams Eskom Executives, Spokesperson For Misleading The Media Over Workers’ Salaries

THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Monday met with the executive management of Eskom for the second round of wage talks.

Numsa also accused Eskom of lying about workers’ salaries at the power utility. 

Ahead of the meeting, Numsa lashed out at Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha for falsely claiming that the average employee at Eskom earns an average salary of R773 000 per year.

“This was a deliberate lie told to the media in an attempt to misdirect the public’s focus away from the true drivers of Eskom’s costs,” said Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola.

Hlubi-Majola said Mantshantsha wants to perpetuate the lie that the R33 billion Eskom wage bill was the reason why Eskom is collapsing.

“We would like to set the record straight. What Mantshantsha conveniently fails to mention is that Eskom’s biggest cost driver is the cost of primary coal and Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers, (REIPP’s),” Hlubi-Majola.