By Daily News Reporters
An agreement in the early hours of Tuesday morning
has brought an end to the fuel strike with workers
expected back at work by Wednesday morning.
But fuel supplies are only expected to return to normal by the weekend and motorists have been warned to limit their travel.
"Our intention is to make sure that in the next three to four days we can restore supply to all our customers," said BP spokesperson Sipho Maseko.
Despite the strike being declared over, Durban service station owners have warned motorists to use their cars only when necessary until the situation at service stations returns to normal.
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The warning came as more and more service stations
around Durban were forced to turn motorists away as the fuel supplies had run dry by Tuesday.
In Durban, at least 15 BP sites had run out of fuel and other service stations were also almost dry.
The fuel situation was compounded after the Sapref refinery in Prospecton shut down on Sunday it is now expected to be fully operational later this week.
A manager, whose service station had run dry on Sunday, August 5, said: "At the moment we believe that there is not enough fuel at some depots."
This means that those service stations without fuel may have dry pumps for the rest of the week.
He advised motorists to curtail their activities until the situation returned to normal.
The agreement between the union and employers was reached in the early hours of this morning after marathon talks which started on Saturday.
The resolution signed between the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (Ceppwawu) and the employers sees a 8,5 percent increase backdated to July 1 and a minimum wage of R4 000.
The question of maternity leave, public holidays and hours of work will be resolved within 90 days.
Ceppwawu had initially demanded a 10 percent pay increase.
Last night spokesperson for the National Petroleum Employers Association (NPEA) Alfie Ngubo was non-committal about the effect the agreement would have on unions like Solidarity and the South African
Chemical Workers' Union, who had earlier accepted the employers offer of an eight percent wage increase.
"Painful as it is to compromise on other demands we did that taking into account the national interest," said Ceppwawu Secretary-General Welile Nolingo.
He apologised to the public for the fuel shortage but indicated that the strike action was a last resort to ensure the recognition of workers rights.
The basis for the agreement was reached on Sunday night but the union had to present the offer to their members.
With fuel stocks dwindling across the country and no compromise reached after a week of the crippling strike, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica intervened on Monday to help bring an end to the impasse.
The strike also saw independent contractors brought in to supply petrol station but the situation was exacerbated by panic buying.
Peter Morgan, spokesperson for the Fuel Retailers Association, said: "The employers' aim today is to
make sure every service station on a national route will be filled up as many families go on holiday for the weekend."
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Daily News on August 07, 2007
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