Trade union Solidarity on Wednesday retracted its decision to advise its members to sign a peace agreement between subcontractors and workers at the Medupi power plant and warned it would institute legal action against the subcontractors if Solidarity members were not excluded from signing the accord.

Solidarity metals, engineering and electrical industry head Deon Reyneke said its members were not involved in the labour dispute that suspended site construction at the power station over a month ago.

Construction at State-owned power utility Eskom’s Medupi had been suspended since January 17, after illegal protest action resulted in the injury of 25 workers the day before.

The protest was previously reported to primarily involve workers with affiliation to the metals industries and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and who were employed by Hitachi and Murray & Roberts Projects.

The subcontractors were not immediately available for comment.

Solidarity, placing “on record” that its members did not participate in the illegal protest actions and adding that there was no proof otherwise, said it had notified Hitachi, Alstom and Murray & Roberts Projects of its intention to pursue a legal resolution.

The union initially advised its members to sign the agreement to avoid disciplinary action.

“The employers … do not come to the unions with a solution, but rather with an ultimatum,” said Reyneke, adding that the employers initiated a lockout without informing the relevant trade unions.

This prevented those employees who wanted to go to work from reporting for duty.

‘The employers are not complying with the project’s labour agreement, and now the employees are being penalised by being forced to sign a peace agreement with an associated written warning, and by signing they also acknowledge guilt.”

Eskom previously warned of the serious threat the illegal action could hold for the project's tight schedule and the impact it could have on Medupi's ability to meet its power generation deadline.

The power station’s first unit was expected to generate first power to South Africa’s national grid by the end of this year.