Johannesburg - Some fuel stations across South Africa ran dry on Thursday after a strike by more than 20 000 transport workers entered its third day, and the main drivers' union said it has yet to agree to a wage deal.
Reggie Sibiya, chief executive of the Fuel Retailers Association, said his group was worried by growing fuel shortages affecting its members across South Africa.
"There is an increasing number of reports from our members of non-delivery of fuel, the problems on the ground are becoming serious, especially in the inland areas," Sibiya said.
"Trucks are standing still, and some of our members say they will have run dry by midday because their buffer stocks are coming to an end. This is alarming."
Sibiya said petrol stations affected were in inland areas and that Shell and Chevron filling stations had raised the most complaints.
Shell said some petrol stations had been affected, and it was prioritising delivery at stations on national routes.
"The strike has led to some retail sites experiencing fuel shortages," Shell said in a statement.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU), South Africa's main truckers' union, went on strike over wages at midday on Tuesday, and its officials said that contrary to reports, it had not reached a deal with employers.
The strike is expected to worsen the non-delivery of key supplies in Africa's biggest economy over the Easter holiday, because the truckers say they do not plan to hold further wage negotiations on Thursday and would strike through the weekend.
The road freight drivers' strike has hit petrol stations, medical supplies including oxygen and medical waste, fresh vegetables, milk and animals destined to market, Satawu's deputy president June Dube told Reuters by telephone.
"There has been no agreement, and it is unlikely there will be negotiations today," he said.
"We believe the reports (of an agreement) are intended to create confusion and mislead our members on the ground."
He said the strike would continue until their wage demands were met, including the fact that any deal should extend to employees who are outside the current bargaining unit.
South African media said some striking workers hurled rocks at trucks and set some of the vehicles alight, but the union said its members were mostly peaceful.
Wage demands
Satawu is demanding a 13% wage increase, four months' paid maternity leave and a job guarantee on return to work, while employers were offering an 11% wage hike.
Satawu wants long-haul truck drivers wages to be raised to R6 000 from R4 317 a month over the next two years.
Three other smaller truckers' unions are involved in the wage talks, but have not been involved in the strike action.
Magretia Brown, labour relations manager of the Road Freight Employers' Association (RFEA), had earlier said her organisation had struck a deal with Satawu, but the union had demanded that the deal should include staff outside the bargaining unit.
"The strike will therefore continue indefinitely," she said.
Sibiya said more than 50 of the 1 200 stations in his association had run out of fuel, and the number was rising fast.
"We are now getting really concerned. Today (Thursday) is a peak period of fuel demand with Easter holidays coming up, and by tomorrow it will be worse unless the strike ends," he said.
- Reuters