Motorists desperate to fill up their tanks amid a petrol strike have been urged to back the union\u2019s call for higher wages because they said the industry is milking poor South Africans.<\/p>\n
This comes as motorists said on Tuesday that many petrol stations around Pretoria and northern Gauteng were running dry, with some posting pictures of queues forming at petrol stations, despite a 99c\/litre reduction in the petrol price at midnight on Tuesday and calls to remain calm.<\/p>\n
Clement Chitja, head of collective bargaining at the union on strike Ceppwawu, told Fin24 on Tuesday that it is not the union\u2019s intention to make people suffer with petrol stations running dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, in light of the situation, it is time for people to voice their dissatisfaction at the way the employers are handling this situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not an industry that can cry poverty,\u201d he said. \u201cThey should be able to make up the salary difference easily.”<\/p>\n
\u201cThe increments in the CEOs\u2019 salary are such that they can get a 26% increase when they are already earning millions,\u201d he said. \u201cThat tells you how well the industry is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While South Africa battles high levels of poverty and unemployment, it also has one of the highest pay gaps in the world.<\/p>\n
Union plans to meet NPEA on Thursday<\/strong><\/p>\n Chitja said motorists should exercise calm, as the union has just resolved to meet with the National Petroleum Employers\u2019 Association (NPEA) on Thursday.<\/p>\n Zimisele Majamane, deputy chair of the NPEA, told Fin24 on Monday that it doesn\u2019t have a planned date to engage with Ceppwawu. \u201cWe are open to talk at any time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe put an offer in our last meeting of 18 July to the union and we believe it is fair under the current circumstances, but have not had a response,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are waiting for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Chitja said the union whose members work at South Africa’s oil refineries and petrol depots – and also truck petrol to stations – are \u201cdealing with multi-nationals here who are not sympathetic to the domestic people\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are trying to make riches out of SA citizens and leave them in poverty,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is about time that we raise our voices,\u201d he said. \u201cWe request motorists to join us through whatever means like social media to register our dismay at how employers are handling the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Chitja said Ceppwawu had not held any negotiations with NPEA, which bargains on behalf of the oil companies.<\/p>\n However, he said reports revealed that NPEA had met into the late hours of Monday evening to find a solution to the impasse.<\/p>\n With its 15 000 members, Ceppwawu is pushing for a one-year agreement for 9%, while the National Petroleum Employers\u2019 Association (NPEA) proposed a 7% increase this year and a consumer price index plus 1% increase next year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are aware that the employers association held a meeting in the afternoon,\u201d he said. \u201cThe meeting ended late as they could not come to a proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n Intimidation reports not accurate – Chitja<\/strong><\/p>\n Regarding reports of intimidation, Chitja said while it may have appeared that way, the reality was that they were confined to a specific area about 50 metres away from the work place.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are large numbers of union members in the Eastern Cape,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the refineries you get over 500 workers in one area.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they are confined to a 50m distance, which forms a small diameter, it creates a feeling of passers-by that they are being intimidated, when that is not necessary the case,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In Pretoria, he said there were about 50 workers there and he didn\u2019t see any intimidation when he visited the site. \u201cI didn\u2019t see any such intimidation,\u201d he said. \u201cI gave them a briefing and requested that they remain calm.\u201d<\/p>\n Intimidation by striking union members at a major petrol hub in Pretoria has brought the depot to a standstill, which has resulted in petrol stations running dry in northern Gauteng on Monday.<\/p>\n That is according to Fani Tshifularo, executive director at the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), in a telephonic interview with Fin24 on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is just specific parts of Gauteng that is affected by intimidation by union members at a depot where trucks need to load and deliver petrol,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Chitja said he told striking union members in Pretoria that it didn\u2019t matter that the independent truckers were working as petrol will soon run dry, because he claimed the refineries were not manufacturing petrol.<\/p>\n However, Reuters reported on Monday that production at South Africa’s oil refineries have continued despite an indefinite strike.<\/p>\n “Refineries continue to produce,” South African Petroleum Industry Association executive director Avhapfani Tshifularo said.<\/p>\n News24<\/a><\/p>\n Petrol strike update: intimidation shuts down Pretoria depot<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Joburg petrol stations are running dry: reports<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n SA petrol price to drop by 99 cents next week<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n SA motorists warned to fill up their tanks ahead of expected petrol shortage<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on energy<\/h3>\n