Government has promised to consult meaningfully with labour over a plan to split Eskom into three independent businesses: generation, transmission and distribution. The unbundling is important for creating transparency, but will not succeed without buy-in from labour. President Cyril Ramaphosa will require every ounce of his renowned negotiating talent if he is to galvanise trade-union support for the intervention, which is seen as an important first step for placing Eskom back on a sustainable footing.