COSATU+condemns+Eskom's+tariff+hike+proposal




 * COSATU Media Release, 19 March 2008**

=COSATU condemns Eskom's tariff hike proposal=

 The Congress of South African Trade Unions is absolutely horrified at Eskom's proposed electricity tariff increase, reported variously at between 53% and 65%. If anything even approaching such increases were to be implemented the effects would be utterly devastating for the country: 
 * All consumers would face a massive increase in their cost of living; 
 * Tens of thousands of the poorest consumers would be forced to stop using electricity at all, including many who have only recently been connected to the grid; 
 * Thousands of jobs would be lost as small and medium businesses were forced to close because of the crippling extra cost of electricity;  Far fewer new jobs would be created, as investors would no longer benefit from cheap electricity; 
 * Prices of virtually everything else would rise as manufacturers and distributors passed on their extra electricity costs in higher prices, leading to a severe rise in inflation. 

COSATU has already condemned the National Electricity Regulator (NERSA) in December 2007 for giving permission for Eskom to increase electricity prices by 14.2%, and deplored the proposal to finance Eskom's accelerated capital expenditure programme through the imposition of drastically increased tariffs on poor households that continue to struggle to meet daily energy needs. We deplored the impact that this would have on access, delivery and affordability of a key component of the overall package of basic services for the poor. **These concerns are multiplied many times over by the latest proposal.** We said then, and repeat with greater force today, that the costs of meeting the country's energy needs must not be passed on to already hard pressed consumers and poor households. Alternative sources of income must be explored. Any price increases should be passed on to heavy industry and high-income earners/households that presently pay much less per unit than many poor households. Any increase be accompanied by greater support and extension of free basic services, including increasing the amount of free electricity.  COSATU demands an extended consultation process on Eskom's latest proposals and a freeze on price hikes until all options have been considered. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Meanwhile <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">COSATU has submitted the following Notice under Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act in protest against the socio-economic effects of Eskom's load-shedding strategy. The latest proposed tariff increase makes it more relevant then ever for the labour movement and civil society to mobilise their forces in support of an energy policy that is pro-poor and pro-worker: <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> =__ Nature of the Dispute __= <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">This dispute arises from <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">the recent announcements in the mining <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">sector of imminent <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">retrenchments due to the recent decision of Eskom to reduce electricity supply to major mining companies by 10%. The unilateral decision <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">of Eskom <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">to reduce <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">electricity <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">usage to mining companies and more recently the failure <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">to support any new major construction initiative has prompted the COSATU Central Executive Committee (CEC) to take <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">a decision in opposing job losses as a result of the energy crisis. In addition a number of affiliates have been advised by industry <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">employers that any significant reduction in energy supply in key industrial and retail sectors of our <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">economy <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">may likely lead to additional job losses. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> COSATU CEC discussed <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">the major national crisis <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">caused by the shortages in <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Electricity supply. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Already it is <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">public knowledge that thousands of <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">mining jobs are on the line. This comes at the time <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">when unemployment is just under <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">40% and poverty at around half <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">of the population, with inequalities growing. We are adamant <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">that workers should not be asked to pay for government's failure to invest in electricity in the late 1990s. Its plans to privatise Eskom <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and do nothing when it was <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">warned about the amount <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">of investment that would be required to meet the expected rise in demand for power in the future. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">COSA <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">TU and the organised labour acknowledges that the current <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">power-cuts and power shortages is a <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">national crisis and affects all South Africans. We will work actively and constructively to help <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">manage the power-shortage and to <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">find a lasting solution.
 * __<span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISPUTE ON THE POSSIBLE JOB LOSSES DUE TO THE REDUCTION AND/OR POSSIBLE CUT IN ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO ECONOMIC SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY __**<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">

Accountability questions
However, we believe <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">it is important <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">to also find out the cause of the problem, including the <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">political and managerial <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">shortcomings that have led to a situation where the entire country is affected <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and the pain <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">of the power-cuts are deep. Why indeed was the necessary investment <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">not made by government some ten years <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">ago when the first indications were given <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">that we would run short of <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">electricity-capacity? Why were large <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">bonuses paid to the Eskom management <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">when it is clea <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">r that some of the top team had been prepared to steer the ship of Eskom to this <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">disaster, <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">without making a big effort to draw all our attention to the impending crisis? <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Why were <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">coal-stocks allowed to be run down to the critical extent that it has been reported in the media? Why have more energy-intensive investmen <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">t pro jects like the additional smelter been approved by <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">government, when it could have been clear that we were <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">running short of capacity for the economy and the society's needs? Why was the first load shedding managed incompetently <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">when senior <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">management should <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">have been aware <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">that problems were <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">inevitable and ought to have had a crisis plan <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">ready? Answering these questions <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">will go some way to removing the growing anger we are facing on the shop floor and create the basis for a <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">positive, forward-looking effort to resolve the crisis. It can also help to ensure that never again <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">will <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">we have such a huge failure of our governance and <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">managerial systems <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">on a critical infrastructure area. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">

Intervention required
<span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">1. As an absolutely basic <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">principle, we should ensure <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">that the costs of the power-cuts are not borne by the poorest in the society, <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">that workers are not retrenched as a result of the power-cuts <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and that the electrification <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">programme to poor households <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">is not <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">compromised. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">2. The package <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">of proposals needs <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">to include short-medium-and long- term measures including: <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">i. Increasing the public sector generating capacity on an urgent basis which should include developing alternate energy <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">sources <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">ii. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Reducing demand on an equitable <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">basis and without compromising the core development <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">goals. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">iii. Ensuring that the cost of electricity for poor communities remain <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">low. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">3. We call for a significant financial contribution by government required <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">for: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> i. New investment in power-generation, ii. Shifting to solar water-heating <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and compact fluorescent lighting, including through regulations to make energy-saving devices compulsory and subsidies to ensure that the poor are not prejudiced, and iii. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Supporting the development of a capacity to locally manufacture these energy-saving units. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">4. The criteria <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">for power-cuts/load-shedding are currently very damaging and inequitable. We <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">cannot sacrifice <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">the mining industry in an effort to <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">manage the crisis. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">The criteria should be urgently reviewed and new agreed criteria should be put in place, which should include: <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">i. Avoiding disruptions <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">at hospitals, emergency services and other essential services. ii. Favouring employment-absorbing economic activities in <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">relation to power-usage <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">iii. Not damaging <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">the socio-economic <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">goals of the society <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 4.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 4.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">In this context, we should be prepared to review projects with a high power-usage and low employment density. The smelters have been identified as a key area of concern. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">5. An energy efficiency campaign should be launched, that mobilises the whole of society, led by concrete commitments from government departments, with a view to changing mind-sets and behaviour of consum ers and <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">industrial users. In this context we are also prepared to launch a labour campaign to save electricity and to train our shop stewards to be energy stewards to help mobilise workers around the <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">joint programme <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">6. We have taken note of a call for the setting up of stakeholder councils at national and provincial level. We support these <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">calls but wish to make the point that the proposed National Council should <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">report on a regular basis <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">to both the Presidency and to Nedlac. It should not be <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">accountable to one line department. Significant policy issues should be referred to Nedlac for consideration. The role of the national council should be: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> i. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">T o develop proposals for short, medium and long-term solutions to address the electricity emergency ii. To develop and communicate core messages iii. To enable communication between stakeholders and government iv. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">To monitor implementation of programmes (e.g. roll out of bulbs) and provide feedback on challenges being experienced and possible solutions. The membership of the council should be nominated via Nedlac <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 4.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">comprise organised business, government, labour and civil society. The Council should report regularly to both the <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">President and to the Nedlac structures. The Council should <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">meet at least once a month for the rest of this year and <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">then evaluate its work programme. 7. We believe that a pledge, made jointly by all stakeholders, is a useful means of showing our joint commitment to work together to address the electricity emergency. <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">Such a pledge should cover our joint commitments to implement electricity savings, educate our <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">constituents on conservation support a sustainable increase <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">in public-sector power <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">generation capacity, find alternatives to retrenchments and job losses <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">and work in a disciplined, structured way together to address the crisis. The dispute <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">is directed at: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">1. Government as presented by: a) Department of Minerals and Energy  b) Department of Public Enterprises c) Department of Trade and Industry  d) National Treasury e) Department of Provincial and Local Government  2. Eskom   3. National Electricity Regulator <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> of South Africa <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">4. Business Unity and its respective members <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA">5. Electricity Industry Holdings (EDI)   Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)   Congress of South African Trade Unions <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> Braamfontein, 2017 <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> P.O. Box 1019 <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> Johannesburg, 2000 <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> SOUTH AFRICA <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24 <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667 <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> Cell: 0828217456 <span style="COLOR: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA"> E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za By e-mail. 1636 words