JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Unions representing about three-quarters of workers at South Africa's state-owned power company Eskom threatened on Thursday to call a strike over pay, potentially disrupting electricity supply during the World Cup.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) warned of a strike if Eskom failed to meet their demands by Friday.
A stoppage could severely affect manufacturing and mining in Africa's biggest economy. Eskom has said that should the action go ahead, it will implement contingency measures to minimise the impact.
South African workers have issued a series of threats to freeze transport, abandon security posts and tie up immigration at airports during the World Cup, which runs until July 11, if demands for better wages and working conditions are not met. Apart from some transport disruption, such action has so far largely failed to materialise.
The NUM, which represents about half of the 32,000 workers at Eskom, lowered its pay rise demands from more than three times the inflation rate of 4.6 percent to 9 percent. The unions also want the introduction of a housing allowance.
Eskom has offered an 8 percent raise and a one-off payment for housing.
"We shall seek a certificate of non-resolution from the mediator if we remain poles apart on the issue of housing," Lesiba Seshoka, the NUM's spokesman said.
Castro Ngobese, NUMSA's spokesman, said the union's 7,500 members at Eskom were ready to stop work to push for better pay, while the third union at the utility, Solidarity, said it was too early to urge its nearly 7,500 members to stop work.
