National fuel shortage looms

Transport workers and their employers have failed to avert a strike over wages which could hit the country's fuel supply.

Talks at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) between the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) and the Road Freight Employers' Association (RFEA) had "proven unsuccessful", the RFEA said.

As such, the strike Satawu had given notice of would continue on Tuesday at 1am, the RFEA announced on its website. Satawu could not be reached for comment.

"Talks will however also continue tomorrow and members will be updated should there be any resolution to the dispute," the RFEA said.

Satawu is demanding a salary of R6 000 a month for long distance drivers presently earning R4 317 a month.

While employers are offering an 11% increase, the union is demanding 13%, four months' paid maternity leave and a job guarantee on return to work.

The RFEA said only Satawu members could participate in the strike.

The Motor Transport Workers' Union, the Professional Transport Workers' Union, and the Transport and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa had not issued strike notices, had indicated they did not support the strike and would advise their members not to participate.

The RFEA said industrial action on days before or after a public holiday would be unpaid.

It maintained that its offer was "more than reasonable under the current economic conditions," said RFEA labour relations manager Magretia Brown.

It maintained that Satawu's demands were "unrealistic in the extreme" and "totally out of line" with the economic realities of the industry's declining freight volumes.

Brown said the RFEA had now reverted to its previous position of 10.5 percent across the board increases.

The fuel distributor, Engen, said on Monday that it had contingency plans should Tuesday's strike go ahead.

"This will ensure that the strike has only a minimal effect on our customers," said company spokeswoman Bulelwa Payi.