2010-03-31
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's powerful COSATU trade union federation said on Wednesday it would formally apply this week for permission to strike in protest at power price rises.

It is not clear when the industrial action, which has to be approved by an arbitration panel, would take place although COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven said there was no intention to target the soccer World Cup, which starts on June 11.

"I would hope that it would take place long before the World Cup kicks off," Craven said.

Under South African labour law, a union applies to the National Economic Development and Labour Council for permission to strike, but the arbitration body is obliged to try to resolve any dispute before giving the green light to industrial action.

The World Cup, the first on African soil, runs for a month from June 11 and is expected to attract 450,000 foreign visitors.

In February, South Africa's power regulator granted cash-strapped state-owned utility Eskom a 24.8 percent tariff increase for the 2010-11 financial year in order to fund new power plants. The hikes come into effect on April 1.

COSATU, which has nearly 2 million members, has consistently opposed the tariff increases and said it would resort to strike action if all other attempts to defer the charges failed.