Trade union Solidarity has given State-owned power utility Eskom a six point plan to help deal with the country’s power problems.

Solidarity said that the plan was stressing issues that hampered electricity supplies in South Africa, such as maintenance, the skills shortage and the morale of the Eskom workforce.

“We are also concerned about the fact that many skilled technicians have left Eskom,” the union stated, adding that it was not making any racial references.

In a letter to CEO Jacob Maroga, Solidarity’s Flip Buys described the skills shortage as a national problem that was likely to put Eskom’s expansion plans under pressure.

Solidarity said that it was prepared to launch an electricity saving campaign among all its members and become involved in the training of technical staff. The union also proposed to use its Come Home Campaign to convince expatriate skills to return and to make available its skills register to source qualified workers.

Solidarity also proposed a conference between Eskom and trade unions.

“We should like to see that a practical solution to the electricity crisis is sought and implemented,” spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said.

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