Shell managing to sustain fuel supply in Gauteng

Shell SA says it is managing to sustain fuel deliveries from its Alberton depot in Gauteng with the support from the South African Police Service vehicle escorts, although the situation remains unpredictable.

While showing steady improvement, product availability at Shell retail sites remained a challenge in Gauteng due to a delivery backlog and high sales, said the company's spokesperson, Elton Fortuin.

Talks between the unions and employers to resolve the strike in the petroleum, pharmaceutical, glass, industrial chemical, fast moving consumer goods, and tissue and allied industries remain deadlocked.

The strike, in its eighth day, is led by the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu), the General Industries Union of SA (Giwusa) and the South African Chemical Workers Union (Sacwu).

Solidarity, which joined the strike on Monday, 18 July 2011, has decided to pull out. The union's deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann said on Wednesday about 2000 of its members at PetroSA and Sasol Secunda would return to work immediately. "We are hoping to meet the employers before the end of this week to propose that they restructure their 8%-10% wage offer. We would also be raising other issues such housing subsidies for our members in Secunda," Hermann said.

Ceppwawu's spokesperson Clement Chitja said the union was hoping to meet glass and petroleum employers on Friday for more talks.

The unions' demands are an 11%-13% pay rise across the board, a minimum wage of R6000 rand per month and a ban on labour brokers.