Press Alert: Numsa 1st Deputy President Andrew Chirwa will be making a submission to Nersa on behalf of Metalworkers in relation to Eskom's application for increased Electricity tariffs 

ANDREW CHIRWA, 1ST Deputy President of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will be representing Metalworkers at the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) public hearing on ESKOM’s application for the Third Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD3), scheduled TOMORROW Friday 25 January 2013, at the Orion Hotel, Corner Samora Machel Drive and Henshall Street, Mbombela (Nelspruit), Mpumalanga province.

The hearing will start at 8h30am.

Numsa has taken a principled position to oppose this Eskom application since it will plunge our economy into a deeper crisis and will lead to massive job losses in the manufacturing industry and other related sectors.

Already our country is faced with the triple crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequalities, accompanied by violent service delivery protests as evidenced by the latest ugly riots in Sasolburg, Free State province.

Already employers have indicated that if this ESKOM application is approved by Nersa, they will be sending notices of retrenchments, and as a union, we have a responsibility to defend jobs in the interest of our members.

This should not be viewed as flirting with capital as some of our opponents might want everyone to believe.

Members of Numsa will be picketing outside the Orion Hotel, Cnr Samora Machel Drive and Henshall Street, where Nersa will be holding this public hearing.

Members of the media are hereby invited to attend and report.

Contact:
Castro Ngobese, National Spokesperson – 083 627 5197