Eskom says will keep the lights on in event of illegal strike

Eskom said on Tuesday it has contingency measures to mitigate against planned industrial action on Thursday‚ over a wage freeze at the cash-strapped energy utility.

Eskom ran out of cash late in 2017 after lenders turned off the taps due to state capture and corruption allegations. The situation at the company remains dire‚ even though a turnaround strategy is on the cards‚ BusinessLIVE reported earlier. The company has a huge debt burden of R350-billion‚ increasing by about R70-billion a year.

On Tuesday‚ Eskom said in a statement that while it sympathises with its over 47‚000 employees‚ it is constrained by the difficult financial situation it faces.

"Eskom has noted the statements made by the trade unions about their intentions to embark on an industrial action this Thursday. Eskom has been designated as an essential service provider‚ and therefore our employees are reminded that they are not allowed to participate in strike actions. In an effort to ensure security of power supply‚ Eskom will activate its contingency measures should the industrial action take place."