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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) East London branch held what was supposed to be a bilateral meeting between the NUM East London branch and the National Executives of Eskom Distribution. The meeting was supposed to deal with critical issues that hamper the service delivery of electricity in Eastern Cape and the challenges that are being faced by employees on the ground.

The following are the major items that we were tabled to the National Distribution Executives.

1.   To find a more effective and efficient strategy to actually attain set targets for the Eastern Cape Province in accelerating the electrification programme for our people in the province. In the recent past, failure to attain these targets led to community unrest and protests against the ANC-led government.

2.     High staff turnover and non-replacement of staff.   This staff turnover has resulted from the restructuring that was only rolled out to benefit management while the numbers of those driving operations on the ground are shrinking, hence the current financial state of Eskom.

3.    The Asset Creation Executive Manager  is a key position in driving the Electrification Programme in the Province, it should be assigned to a technically competent individual.

4.    The well-orchestrated removal of the current acting General Manager of the Eastern Cape, due to her refusing to be the puppet of the National Managing Director of Distribution. This chop and changing of General Managers in the Eastern Cape is causing instability in operations, this removal is not based on performance but rather a serious abuse of power by the Managing Director Distribution.

5.    Unfair recruitment process regarding the appointments of artisans in the Customer Network Centers, others have to apply for the positions while others with the same qualifications are automatically placed. Based on this matter we are calling for the termination of the indefinite acting arrangement of the Provincial HR Manager, we strongly believe that amongst those who have been appointed some have direct links and relations with the Eastern Cape born National Managing Director.

6.     Eskom Eastern Cape is ready to spend an exorbitant amount on another drug screening device, the estimated total cost for a period of a year is R47,7 million.  This also means that the current breathalyzer screening tool which costs the Eskom Eastern Cape R20 million will be thrown away.  As NUM, we are against this wasteful expenditure and we believe the funds should be directed to Eskom operations where they are most needed.

The reasons we could not proceed with the meeting was based on Eskom management not wanting to account for the wasteful expenditure in flying four executives in business class from the same department. The Eskom National IR Managing Director, Tito Zwane intentionally collapsed the meeting, on the basis that he failed to give direction to the meeting. He further refused to engage at the request of the NUM to embark on picketing on the issues above .The picketing was going to take place outside the working hours, meaning before 07h45 and during lunch time.

Issued by NUM