Durban - Fuel pumps have run dry at several Durban petrol stations. This was after oil refinery and depot workers downed tools as wage talks with their employers deadlocked.
However, the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) has told motorists not to worry as over 80 percent of industry workers had not downed tools while at least four fuel companies, including Shell, Sasol, BP and Total, on Thursday said they do not expect their pumps to run dry any time soon and that they have contingency plans in place.
The Caltex Atholl Heights Service Station was out of fuel. Its tanks ran dry at 6pm on Thursday, the first day of the strike. In Glen Ashley, the Caltex garage was this morning limiting customers to R300 of petrol each. It is out of diesel.
The Caltex in Florida Road in Morningside also had empty tanks. The manager, who declined to be named, said fuel retailers would have to absorb the loss of business.
In uMhlanga, Forest Drive petrol station had diesel, but no petrol. None of the service stations contacted knew when they would receive supplies of diesel and petrol.
The manager of the Shell garage on the N2 in Umgababa, south of Durban, said he was fully stocked.
Agreement
The Chemical Energy Paper Printing Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) had vowed to strike if agreement could not be reached with the National Petroleum Employers’ Association (NPEA).
The strike involves more than 15 000 workers and would affect the transportation of fuel to petrol stations around the country.
The union was demanding a 9 percent increase for the duration of the agreement, while the employers were offering 7 percent for this year and an increase based on the consumer price index as at April next year plus 1.5 percent for the following period.
Earlier this week, Suzanne Pullinger, spokeswoman for Chevron South Africa, parent company of Caltex, said while they had prepared for the possibility of a strike, nothing could be guaranteed.
“We will do as much as possible to ensure the continued supply of fuel products to our customers. Our refinery and terminals will continue operations and we do not anticipate delivery interruptions from our haulers, as their drivers are not affiliated to Ceppwawu,” she said.
Daily News