Trade union Solidarity offered Eskom, which is technically insolvent, a list of 480 skilled and experienced professionals who are keen to help the company, but the battling “Prince of Darkness” did not contact a single person on the list.
Instead Ramaphosa flew in engineers from Italian energy company Enel in a bid to sort out Eskom’s maintenance issues, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan told Parliament’s Public Enterprises Committee. Gordhan also said the power utility has suffered a brain drain due to instability or because experienced employees were pushed out.
“Government is very aware that apart from causing traffic jams and huge amounts of frustration in major cities, this is also a bad signal as far as investment in our economy is concerned,” Gordham said.
As early as February this year trade union Solidarity launched a website where experienced engineers and technicians registered to offer their skills to help Eskom. The initiative followed an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the services of competent former Eskom employees should be used to help alleviate Eskom’s skills shortages.
No-on contacted
MyBroadband.co.za reported that by 19 February Solidarity provided Gordhan with a database of scarce skills that exist among Eskom’s former workforce. These skills include experienced former Eskom engineers, technicians, project managers, financial managers and contractors.
The list was also given to Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer and Elsie Pule, group executive for human resources at the company. Not a single person on the list contacted
On Sunday, 30 June, Afrikaans Sunday rag Rapport reported that Eskom has not contacted a single person on the list. Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said his union’s list is by far the most comprehensive list of former Eskom employees and skilled professionals.
He added that all the people on the list indicated that they were willing to help to turn around the struggling state-owned enterprise.
Too white?
Deon Reyneke, deputy general secretary at Solidarity, said the fact that people on the list were white may have played a role in Eskom’s decision to discard it.
Hermann said as far as staff at Eskom is concerned, a proper skills audit must be done. Skills mismatches must be identified and rectified.
“The immediate cost savings lie in the cancellation of totally inflated tenders, the aggressive stamping out of corruption right down to power station level, and the changing of procurement processes, while on the revenue side, outstanding debt must be collected.
“As workers we are furious about the mess Eskom finds itself in. Despite this anger we realise that Eskom’s crisis is our crisis that involves all of us. That is why we want to offer our help. We will help to re-recruit top skills; our members will help to keep the lights on even if they have to sleep in the power stations. We call on the public to help save electricity and we appeal to big business for help. We call on everyone in South Africa to make Eskom’s rescue a national project involving all of us. However, we set one condition and that is justice. The looters must not get away scot-free,” Hermann continued.
“In exchange for our help we expect a commission of inquiry into the Eskom crisis. We, as South Africans, will not be content to sit in the dark while the looters get away, having enriched themselves.
With 480 skilled and experienced South African professionals who are keen and ready to help Eskom out of the shit, president Cyril Ramaphosa opted to appoint Italian engineers to try and get to grips with the state-owned electricity supplier’s problems.
Trade union Solidarity offered Eskom, which is technically insolvent, a list of 480 skilled and experienced professionals who are keen to help the company, but the battling “Prince of Darkness” did not contact a single person on the list.
Instead Ramaphosa flew in engineers from Italian energy company Enel in a bid to sort out Eskom’s maintenance issues, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan told Parliament’s Public Enterprises Committee. Gordhan also said the power utility has suffered a brain drain due to instability or because experienced employees were pushed out.
“Government is very aware that apart from causing traffic jams and huge amounts of frustration in major cities, this is also a bad signal as far as investment in our economy is concerned,” Gordham said.
As early as February this year trade union Solidarity launched a website where experienced engineers and technicians registered to offer their skills to help Eskom. The initiative followed an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the services of competent former Eskom employees should be used to help alleviate Eskom’s skills shortages.
No-on contacted
MyBroadband.co.za reported that by 19 February Solidarity provided Gordhan with a database of scarce skills that exist among Eskom’s former workforce. These skills include experienced former Eskom engineers, technicians, project managers, financial managers and contractors.
The list was also given to Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer and Elsie Pule, group executive for human resources at the company. Not a single person on the list contacted
On Sunday, 30 June, Afrikaans Sunday rag Rapport reported that Eskom has not contacted a single person on the list. Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said his union’s list is by far the most comprehensive list of former Eskom employees and skilled professionals.
He added that all the people on the list indicated that they were willing to help to turn around the struggling state-owned enterprise.
Too white?
Deon Reyneke, deputy general secretary at Solidarity, said the fact that people on the list were white may have played a role in Eskom’s decision to discard it.
Hermann said as far as staff at Eskom is concerned, a proper skills audit must be done. Skills mismatches must be identified and rectified.
“The immediate cost savings lie in the cancellation of totally inflated tenders, the aggressive stamping out of corruption right down to power station level, and the changing of procurement processes, while on the revenue side, outstanding debt must be collected.
“As workers we are furious about the mess Eskom finds itself in. Despite this anger we realise that Eskom’s crisis is our crisis that involves all of us. That is why we want to offer our help. We will help to re-recruit top skills; our members will help to keep the lights on even if they have to sleep in the power stations. We call on the public to help save electricity and we appeal to big business for help. We call on everyone in South Africa to make Eskom’s rescue a national project involving all of us. However, we set one condition and that is justice. The looters must not get away scot-free,” Hermann continued.
“In exchange for our help we expect a commission of inquiry into the Eskom crisis. We, as South Africans, will not be content to sit in the dark while the looters get away, having enriched themselves.
