South Africa's Eskom says most workers resume work at Medupi

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - More than half of the 8,000 workers who embarked on a wildcat strike seven weeks ago at South African power firm Eskom's Medupi plant are back at work, the state-owned firm said on Monday. Thousands of workers at Medupi, where one of six units neared maximum output last week following years of delays, downed tools in March in protest over poor living conditions and demanding higher pay. "We have 5,000 people on the ground who have been cleared who have appeared before the disciplinary committees," Khulu Phasiwe, spokesperson for the utility, told Reuters. "We only have about 3,000 more to go," Phasiwe added. Phasiwe said disciplinary hearings would be completed by the end of the month, having been delayed by a court challenge lodged by the National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) on Friday blocking the eviction of workers from Medupi's living quarters. NUMSA representatives could not be reached for comment. The plant may face further labour disruptions, with unions warning they would oppose a proposal to partially privatise Eskom as announced last week by the Treasury. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene on Monday reiterated the government's willingness to sell a minority stake in Eskom to plug the utility's 200 billion rand ($17 billion) funding gap. Started in 2007 but plagued by labour disruptions, technical faults and cost overruns, Medupi would become South Africa's first new power station in 20 years when fully completed by 2021, adding 4,800 MW to the stretched grid.