South African labour unions engaged in a wage dispute with State-owned power utility Eskom on Friday called on government to intervene and assist parties in coming to an agreement.

Union representatives said at a press briefing in Johannesburg that they were not interested in going into arbitration, as was suggested by Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan.

The Minister said on Thursday that she had "urgently" requested the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to appoint an arbitrator and for the arbitration to be held as soon as is possible.

She also noted that Eskom workers were supplying the country with essential services, and could therefore not legally go on strike.

However, the unions said that only a marginal number of its members could be classified as supplying essential services to the country and that even though a full-blown strike was not yet on the cards, it would indeed enter industrial action if that was what union members requested.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) spokesperson Castro Ngobese indicated that members of all three unions - the National Union of Mineworkers, Numsa, and Solidarity - would be voting on this issue on Tuesday.

"We are giving Eskom and its new management time till Tuesday to engage with us and for all parties to come to a resolution."

The unions said that while they had been showing a willingness to reach a resolution dropping their wage demands from 20% to 9%, Eskom had been "standing still" during the negotiation process.

As things stand currently, the unions are asking for a 9% wage increase, R2 500 a month in housing benefits, six months paid maternity leave and a 9% allowance increase.

Eskom is offering an 8% wage increase, R500 a month in housing benefits, four months paid maternity leave, 5,6% allowance increase.

NUM chief negotiator at Eskom Paris Mashego accused Eskom of using bullying tactics.

He said that Eskom's chief negotiator, Bhabhalazi Bulanga, had threatened workers with retrenchments if they did not sign a three-year wage agreement.

Bhabhalazi also said that a certificate of non-resolution did not mean that the unions could call a protected strike at Eskom, but the unions described that as arrogant.

"Eskom should explain why it would put the country into a halt and hold workers hostage situation during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"We cannot worry about the World Cup, we must worry about our members. Eskom bought R12-million of tickets for the World Cup, and did not give one of those tickets to a worker in the bargaining unit. Does that mean they are worried about us?" asked Mashego.

Also sitting on the side of the briefing was Public Enterprises deputy Minister Enoch Godongwana. When confronted by journalists to comment on government intervention, he said that it would like to keep it to a labour dispute between the utility and unions.

However, he said that government would intervene at crisis level and would not deny that some degree of intervention by government was already taken place.

Originally published by Polity.org.za