Johannesburg – The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) wants the government to allow for the inclusion of workers in the discussion of the just transition as well as to allow for an energy policy that ensures that renewable energy is state-owned.
This was revealed in a political report that is set to be discussed at the federation’s central committee meeting scheduled to run from tomorrow to Thursday.
In the document, Cosatu discusses decreasing the use of coal in the energy mix; that the just transition should consider and take in regard securing workers in the coal sector; as well as the reskilling and skilling of workers, essential in securing jobs and the livelihood of workers in the sector.
“The introduction of renewable energy should not in any way undermine the number of jobs in the country and should not benefit foreign companies,” the discussion document reads.
“The unfortunate reality is that in the planning of a transition so far, the planning for jobs has lagged, leaving thousands of workers behind in the transition to a green economy. The famous case in point is the plight of the workers in coal-fired power stations who after the announcement of decommissioning have not been prepared to take up jobs in the green economy.”
South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan 2019 said coal would “continue to play a significant role in electricity generation in South Africa in the foreseeable future”.
However, the transition to renewable energy seems to be gathering steam in the country with many banks now refusing to finance new coal projects.
Eskom has also announced plans to invest $7.3-billion (about R107-billion) in renewable energy over the next nine years.
Khetha Shezi, a corporate law expert at Pinsent Masons, said the departure of several major coal mining giants was presenting opportunities for smaller operators to break into the market
“Although a number of the more traditional and entrenched South African coal mining players are exiting the market or seemingly no longer intending to invest in new coal mining projects, what remains clear is that coal will remain an integral part of South Africa’s energy landscape for some time to come.
“South Africa’s coal reserves are currently estimated at 53-billion tonnes and, considering the present production rate, this equates to roughly 200 years of extractable reserves – feeding the appetite of new coal miners to fill the void left as the incumbents depart.”
Data released by Statistics South Africa on Wednesday showed the importance of coal to the economy. The data, which surveyed 2019 mining data, showed that the total income for the mining industry in 2019 was R552.1-billion, with coal mining having brought in R156-billion.
The industry employs nearly 110 000, according to Stats SA
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