ESKOM CEO SALARY INCREMENT SHOULD BE USED TO BAIL-OUT THE POOR!

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) condemns the immoral and excessive salary increment of Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga.

It's disgusting that the Eskom Board is willing and prepared to award an increment to the tune of R5 million amidst the R9 Billion revenue loss suffered by Eskom and effects of the capitalist crisis felt strongly by our economy.

Numsa believes that this excessive increment reinforces in the public sphere that state-owned entities can be used for material gains and accumulation, as opposed to meeting the needs of our people. This salary increment is further shocking given the failures by Eskom oligarchy to adhere to workers salary demand of 14% increase. Workers are facing a burden as a result of the high cost of living in post-apartheid capitalist South Africa and the poverty wages that they receive are largely worthless to the daily realities they face.

We call on CEO Maroga to reject the proposed salary increment by the Board and re-channel the money by bailing-out the poor who are feeling the pinch as a result of the high cost of electricity and tariffs.

In the forthcoming Congress of COSATU will propose that our federation together with Affiliates embark on an intensive campaign to put a stop on exorbitant public and private earned salaries which are widening the apartheid wage gap and to root-out corrupt practises.

The ANC and its Alliance partners need to have an informed and structured discussion on this new emerging culture where the state and its parastatals are being used to amass wealth and dispense patronage to friends, relatives, stooges and in-laws. The inability to have a frank and honest discussion on the matter is bound to degenerate our revolution like other marvellous and popular regimes in part of Africa.

History is littered with classic examples, and ours is to remove this cancer within our ranks and strategic institutions of power and authority.

Statement issued by Castro Ngobese, NUMSA national spokesperson, September 16 2009

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