Disgruntled Eskom workers want Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to intervene in their protracted wage dispute with the power utility.

Unions and Eskom were hunched around the negotiating table late into the night, failing to reach an agreement.

The parastatal has offered a 7 percent increase and it’s looking for a three-year deal out of these talks.

Unions are reportedly prepared to drop their demand to 8 percent, on condition other demands are met.

Numsa’s Irvin Jim has been part of those robust negotiations.

“We have taken a decision as a collective of unions that we must convene a meeting with both the board, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan,” said Jim.

“We have now decided that we’ll escalate the negotiations at that level.”