Eskom’s wage talks raise unions’ ire as dialogue hits stalemate

TALKS between South Africa’s beleaguered power utility Eskom and its biggest labour unions on wages have reached a stalemate, the latest crisis for the utility that’s struggling to boost electricity supply.

The unions “responded with dismay” after negotiations failed to reach a conclusion during the final round on Wednesday.

That’s when Eskom highlighted that it was unprofitable and reiterated that it had made its final offer, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said in a communique seen by Bloomberg.

The negotiations will now be extended to a fourth round after the groups consult with their members.

Any protests by the workers may hit power supply further. Eskom generates almost all of South Africa’s electricity and has been implementing frequent nationwide power cuts that reached a record last year, mainly due to breakdowns by old and ill-maintained coal-fired stations.

The sabotage of key equipment has also been rising in recent weeks, adding to the challenges.

The utility is “sacrificing workers benefits, pension