JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – State-owned power utility Eskom’s Exxaro-supplied power stations may face coal supply challenges as strikes at the JSE-listed diversified miner’s operations continued.

Exxaro has stated that contingency measures for supply were in place and the group continued to work closely with the power utility to ensure the availability of coal supply; however, trade union Solidarity spokesperson Louis Pretorius told Mining Weekly Online that it had learned that Exxaro’s Grootegeluk operations only had supply for another four days.

Strike action over the nonpayment of performance bonuses and other grievances have halted production at the group’s Grootegeluk mine, in Limpopo, as well as at its Mpumalanga-based Matla, Arnot, Leeuwpan and Inyanda coal mines.

Exxaro was contracted to supply Matimba, Arnot and Matla power stations with coal.

Eskom, which was said to generally carry over 40 days of coal stock at its power stations, did not respond at the time of publishing.

South Africa’s overall electricity supply was currently strained as the utility struggled to meet demand – with a narrowing supply/demand margin – as repairs to Unit 1 of its Koeberg nuclear power plant, in the Western Cape, and the flood-damaged transmission line from Cahora Bassa, in Mozambique, continued.

Exxaro management was set to meet with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Tuesday – as tension rises at the operations – to attempt to mitigate the ongoing strikes at the JSE-listed diversified miner's coal operations; however, the workers have indicated to NUM that they would not return unless they received indication of when – not if – their performance bonuses would be paid.

NUM branch secretary Mxolisi Hoboyi told Mining Weekly Online that the strikes, which were at all but two of Exxaro’s operations, were intensifying, with strikers burning tyres and stopping and offloading the coal trucks delivering supply to the power stations.

He indicated that should management stand firm in its decision not to pay performance bonuses, it was likely that the tension could erupt and spiral into violence.

Hoboyi earlier commented that the workers’ distrust of police, following on the heels of the events at the Marikana platinum mine last year and, more recently, an incident where alleged police brutality led to the death of a taxi driver, would likely cause further tensions.

Solidarity said tensions were strained at the Grootegeluk operations, with incidents of stone-throwing and intimidation being reported.

The union said that, while its members were not happy with the nonpayment of bonuses, they were still reporting for duty – despite production being halted at the operations.