South African state power company Eskom said it would be forced to widen electricity cuts on Friday and over the weekend as labor protests linked to deadlocked wage talks disrupt operations. The company, which has struggled to meet power demand the country for over a decade, has been implementing "Stage 2" rotational outages since the start of the week.
Eskom said in a statement: "While exploring possible solutions to unlock the deadlock with the unions, Eskom appeals to its labor partners and striking employees to embrace the higher purpose of putting the people of South Africa first."
Eskom said earlier that the protests had included incidents of intimidation of working employees and blockades on roads leading to power stations. The company has asked police to restore order.
Source: zawya.com