Eskom is spending a \u201cfortune\u201d feeding its workers lamb chops, chicken casserole, and croissants, despite the power utility being in the midst of a financial crisis. This is according to a report in the Sunday Times.<\/p>\n
The report states that Eskom subsidises the meals of 17,000 employees \u2013 37% of its workforce \u2013 while contractors building the Medupi and Kusile power stations receive hot meals thanks to a R1.5-billion catering contract.<\/p>\n
The food bill is a\u00a0costly addition to Eskom\u2019s list of expenses, which includes the delayed and over-budget coal-fired power stations it is building and the R1-billion a month diesel bill for generators.<\/p>\n
Food subsidies by the company range from between 50% to 80% of a meal\u2019s cost, and are a \u201clong-standing tradition\u201d at Eskom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorkers get used to these things and if you take them away you\u2019ll get a riot,\u201d said Numsa\u2019s Steven Nhlapo.<\/p>\n
The Sunday Times said Eskom avoided answering questions about the sustainability of the food expenses, only stating that \u201coperational and capital expenditure was under\u00a0scrutiny in a bid to cut costs\u201d.<\/p>\n
Among the bids contractors have put in to supply food at\u00a0Eskom, includes:<\/p>\n
The billion rand catering contract for Medupi and Kusile<\/a><\/strong> workers was first reported on in December 2014, when the newspaper stated the two five-year deals\u00a0included the serving of\u00a0\u201cmeals\u2026 in huge dining areas on site include beef, chicken, mutton or vegetarian dishes\u201d, along with \u201cfresh fruit juice\u201d.<\/p>\n The full report is available in the Sunday Times of 3 May 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n Ten defaulting municipalities safe from Eskom power cuts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on Eskom<\/h3>\n