“The negotiation process is intentionally being railroaded by Telkom, who is withholding information that is essential for this year’s wage negotiations. At the beginning of the year’s negotiations, trade unions already requested that the information be made available, but this has still not been done. Eskom is approaching the negotiations in bad faith and are not being accommodating at all,” explained Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans.

Wage negotiations were originally only scheduled for three rounds, but the negotiations are still being drawn out and a second, additional meeting has now been arranged for 9 July.

Trade unions are currently demanding a wage increase of 14% as well as a housing allowance of R5 000 per month, while Eskom is still only offering a wage increase of 8%.

A strike at Eskom is, by virtue of the essential nature of the company’s service and the fact that a minimum service agreement has not yet been put in place, impossible.