AS communities all over South Africa, including the Eastern Cape, shivered this week, many tried to keep warm at home. But there could be bad news ahead: with fears that ongoing strikes in the coal sector will result in Eskom blackouts, even homes might stay cold.
AS communities all over South Africa, including the Eastern Cape, shivered this week, many tried to keep warm at home. But there could be bad news ahead: with fears that ongoing strikes in the coal sector will result in Eskom blackouts, even homes might stay cold.
South Africa uses coal to produce electricity and the companies that mine coal are affected by the strike. As the strike reached the end of its first week, concern was mounting that electricity load-shedding would affect not only small and large businesses, but also people in their homes.
According to NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka, Eskom lacks proper planning to withstand strike action.
The utility company had a coal stockpile that would last only three weeks, Seshoka said.
Usually they had a six weeks’ minimum backup. The Chamber of Mines was set to meet unions yesterday for talks aimed at ending the strike.
The National Union of Mineworkers is demanding a salary increase of 14 percent, while the Chamber of Mines’ revised offer is 7 to 8 percent. “They must bring something that is closer to our demands in order to end this strike,” said Seshoka.
Eskom is confident that the strikes will not result in load-shedding. “We have a contingency plan to ensure that power supply is not affected,” said Eskom spokesperson Tony Stott, “and we are still able to meet the demand.”
“We also have a 38-day stockpile in our power stations that may last for a bit longer.”
However, he cautioned that there could be problems: “If the strike were to continue for several more weeks, South Africa may encounter power interruptions.” The spokesperson of the Chamber, Jabu Maphalala, told Grocott's Mail that no revised offer had been put foward yet and negotiations would resume.
