NUM PWV region is unhappy with Eskom Board and government decision to close down five power stations.

Press Statement, 16 March 2017

NUM PWV region is unhappy with Eskom Board and government decision to close down five power stations.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) PWV Region is seriously disturbed by the decision taken by both Eskom Board and the South African Government to close down five Power Stations of which one of them is Grootvlei which is one of our branches. 

Grootvlei Branch held a mass meeting with workers and responded in this government's and Eskom's decions as follows: 

We view this decision as senseless, irrational and malicious. It is a decision that is only aimed at pursuing narrow and selfish business interests which is none other than neo-liberal agenda. 

The poor leadership that has been displayed by both the Eskom Board and Lyne Brown as the Minister by keeping workers and ourselves as trade Union leaders in the dark about the future of thousands of workers, leaves us with no choice but to call upon the resignation of both  the Minister, Lyne Brown and the entire Eskom Board led by Ben Ngubane.

 We wish to sensitize the Government that the closure of these Power Stations will cost South Africa approximately 30 000 jobs which is contrary to the Government's NDP objectives of fighting the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality in South Africa.  Whilst we are mindful of the need to deal with climate change,  IPPs cannot be implemented at the expense of massive job losses workers in these power stations will suffer from, the poverty that will confront the surrounding communities. We therefore reject this narrow agenda with the contempt it deserves. 

We call upon the Acting Eskom CE to stop making pronouncements about the closure of the Power Stations while he is undermining the legitimate consultative structures existing in the organization.  His apology about his failure to engage trade unions is unacceptable to us as the union, as he has been continuing with this for weeks whilst understanding that trade unions have not been engaged. Workers will not rest until Eskom and Government reverse this ill-informed decision. We will unleash the only weapon at our disposal to resist and the prevailing intransigence will be met with equal resistance from the workers. 

For more information, please contact: 

Ndlela Radebe: NUM PWV Eskom Full-Time Shopsteward: 071 871 5859/076 650 6661

Livhuwani Mammburu: NUM National Spokesperson: 083 809 3257 

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167