Eskom says the wage agreement reached with unions on Tuesday will not immediately alleviate the burden of load shedding on the power system

According to Eskom, the salary accord negotiated with unions on Tuesday won’t immediately lighten the load shedding’s effect on the electrical grid.

After more than a week of strong strike action that forced the country into stage six load shedding, the power utility and unions came to an agreement on a salary increase of 7%.

“[The deal] clears the way for a complete return to work of all employees and puts an end to the Central Bargaining Forum (CBF) negotiations and the costly wage dispute.

“In light of this agreement, Solidarity, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have all asked their members to start working again right away.

“It is crucial to remember that even though the workforce is getting back to work, the system will need some time to recuperate. Maintenance work has to be delayed due to the strike, and it will take time to finish this backlog, according to Eskom.

The electric company issued a request for employees to report back to the power plants and start the system-stabilization process.

“Eskom also wishes to request that all staff members return to their workstations right away in order to relieve system pressure, provide the level of service that South Africans have come to expect from Eskom, and help restore generation performance that has been adversely impacted by the illegal strike.

The energy producer said: “Eskom would like to pay tribute to and thank those many employees who keep going above and beyond the call of duty and continue to make personal sacrifices to assist keep the lights on during this very tough period.”

Load shedding will be lowered to stage five on Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to the power company.

On Wednesday, the updated schedule is as follows:

From 5 am to 4 pm, Stage 4
from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Stage 5.
Stage 4 on Wednesday from 10 p.m. until midnight:

Stage 2 runs from 01:00 to 05:01
From 5 am to 4 pm, Stage 4
from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Stage 5.
from 10 p.m. until midnight, Stage 4.