Two million members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) are set to stay away from work in protest over the proposed 27.5 per cent tariff increase from Eskom.

The body claims that increases would put thousands of jobs at risk as companies, including the countries' platinum mines, look for ways to absorb the costs.

But it wants future tariffs to change to allow large industrial users, including mines, to pay more.

Speaking to Engineering News Online, Patrick Craven, a spokesperson for the group, said that it wanted "firmer assurances" that no further jobs would be lost.

Instead of a price hike, Cosatu wants Eskom to be given a grant to cover any capital expansion costs.

"We want to see the tariff structure changed to where smaller consumers don't pay more for electricity than large industrial users," he explained.

Earlier in July, 320,000 workers from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) agreed to join Cosatu members in a strike against rising energy prices.



Source:

Two-million expected to join in Cosatu’s protest action, 05/08/08
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=139974

320 000 miners to join Cosatu mass action, 2/07/08
http://www.miningweekly.com/article.php?a_id=137133