The Democratic Alliance (DA) says its extremely concerned over demands by Eskom managers for a salary hike and the accompanying ‘warning’ that load shedding and strikes might be possible later this year if their demand are not met.
“Senior management should be an example when it comes to austerity measures by reviewing salaries instead of holding the country and the economy to ransom because they have not been given a salary increase,” DA MP Natasha Mazzone said in a statement.
Reports are also emerging that the senior managers have now approached the CCMA to resolve to matter.
The DA said that “should this salary hike be granted, it could cost the power utility – which is already in its worst ever financial state – up to R300 million.”
Due to a deepening financial crisis and R20.7 billion in losses in the past financial year, “ordinary South Africans will now be expected to pay up yet again as Eskom’s senior managers, who earn between R1.5 million and R3 million a year, are requesting higher salaries and bonuses,” Mazzone said.
South Africa cannot afford a recurrence of load shedding “as we stare down the slow collapse of the entity,” Mazzone added,
“This will have irreparable consequences for our already ailing economy and ordinary citizens.”
Mazzone said the DA’s plan to break Eskom into two separate entities – a generation entity which is privatised and a transmission/distribution entity – will ensure that South Africa is not being forced to pay for the corruption and mismanagement which has taken place at Eskom.
