Eskom power stations are operating normally on Tuesday after disruptions on Monday by workers protesting over wages, the company and union sources said.
Eskom said on Monday that the protests raised the risk of load shedding this week. Similar protests in June triggered a spate of load shedding.
"The situation has improved slightly. There is a huge presence of the police, which is helping to ease movement in and out of our power stations," Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said.
"There are still pockets of picketing, but there is no direct impact on our operations this morning," he said.
A source with the Solidarity trade union, one of three involved in the wage talks whose members have not taken part in the protests, confirmed that "all stations are open for workers to enter now".
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says many of its members at Eskom are on what amounts to a wildcat strike.
NUM energy sector co-ordinator Paris Mashego said the power stations affected on Monday included Kendal, Hendrina, Arnot, Duvha and Matla, with workers at the Kriel station expected to down tools on Tuesday.
Phasiwe said coal supplies remained a concern.
"Six power stations still have low stock levels of coal, so it’s critical that coal supplies continue to reach those stations," he said.
The threat of protests and outages had appeared to recede after Eskom offered to raise salaries by about 7% a year over the next three years, but unions want bonuses to be paid before they agree a wage deal.
Eskom, which supplies more than 90% of the country’s power, has been grappling with labour unrest as it cuts costs aiming to reverse a decade of steep financial decline.
Reuters
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