Main South African power union threatens to strike over wages; strike could start next week

South African power union threatens to strike

JOHANNESBURG — The main union at South Africa’s monopoly power supplier says it’s ready to strike after rejecting the company’s wage offer.

The National Union of Mineworkers, which says it represents 20,000 of the 30,000 Eskom workers, said Wednesday the strike will start next week but did not say which day.

The smaller Solidarity union has given Eskom until Monday to consider its revised demands. A third union says its shop stewards are meeting Wednesday to discuss whether to strike.

The unions demand 9 percent wage increase. They have rejected Eskom’s offer of 8.5 percent.

A strike could mean power failures during the World Cup, but all the stadiums have generators.