South Africa workers end fuel strike

South Africa workers end fuel strike
Collins Atohengbe, Pretoria

The three weeks old strike embarked upon by members of the South Africa’s Petroleum Workers Union has been called off following the union’s acceptance of an 8.5 percent wage increase.

Parties involved in the trade dispute met under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.(CCMA).

Agreement reached

The National Policy coordinator of the Union, John Appolis, said workers will get a minimum monthly salary of R4 400 from R4 000; and pregnant women will also get maternity leave while the increment was backdated to July 1, 2011. The trade dispute was resolved on Thursday after a heated negotiation in which both sides sought to protect their interest.

 Appolis said other matters such as the abolition of labour brokers would be discussed at another forum and affirmed that Workers would begin to return to their duty posts on Friday, July 29.

An executive of the striking unions, Simon Mafokeng said though a compromise had been reached on some aspects of workers demands, other areas which were not covered in the agreements would have to be tackled early enough to avoid a return to the streets.

Miners make demands

Just as the Petroleum workers strike was being suspended, Coal Mine workers Union, which had earlier boasted to make the South African economy “cry like a baby”, says it will not back down from the 14 per cent wage hike demand.

Their counterparts in the gold mines have threatened to also down tools next week if their demands were not met to their satisfaction.

Speaking on the after effect of the miners’ strike, Mr Tony Stot, an executive of South African power company, Escom said; “even if the strike is called off now, it will take a while to stabilize coal supplies for energy generation”.

Workers in the power, paper and pulp and metal works sectors downed tools on July 11, leading to fuel shortages across South Africa with over 200 fuel stations in provinces such as Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal closed down as a result of lack of products.

They were demanding a wage increase of between 11 and 13 per cent and minimum wage of R6 000 and transport allowances, among others.


Williams