Solidarity today released the results of an opinion poll that was conducted among trade union members at the company earlier this week. The poll shows that 62% of Solidarity members do not see a long-term future for themselves at Eskom. “The problem is that the skilled workers at Eskom are the ones who want to leave. This could lead to a skills crisis for Eskom during a time in which skills are needed for expansion,” said Dirk Hermann, deputy general secretary of Solidarity.

According to the poll, 93% of the respondents feel that Eskom does not appreciate the work they do and 95% feel that Eskom management does not do enough to retain skilled workers at Eskom. “The Eskom employees are succeeding in keeping the electricity network in South Africa stable, despite extremely difficult circumstances. They are actually the unsung heroes of the South African labour market and they deserve more recognition from the company’s management. While Eskom’s top management give themselves a salary increase of 25%, the workers are the ones who have to ensure that South Africans enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply,” Hermann said.

Despite Eskom’s improved salary offer, about 89% of Solidarity members at Eskom have indicated that they still believe that there is a rift between Eskom management and employees. “If management does not make a serious effort to mend this rift, a large number of experienced employees will leave the company. This will definitely thwart attempts to find a solution to South Africa’s electricity crisis.”