Johannesburg - As fuel runs out in parts of SA due to a strike, wage talks in the fuel sector will resume on Monday for the first time in weeks.
The National Petroleum Employers' Association (NPEA) chairperson Mxolisi Ratsibe hoped the dispute would be settled by Monday afternoon.
"We are putting all our efforts and energy into finding common ground and sealing this on Monday.
"I'm hoping the talks will end this strike for the benefit of everybody," he said.
Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers' Union co-ordinator John Appolis said it was hoping for a new offer from employers on Monday.
The last meeting took place on June 24, when talks broke down.
The offer on the table at the time was seven percent, but the unions were demanding 11%.
Tens of thousands of fuel-sector workers began walking out on Monday, delaying deliveries and sparking panic-buying at service stations nationwide.
Meanwhile, the union Solidarity anounced it will start a pay strike at petrochemical group Sasol [JSE:SOL] on Monday, joining the walkout in the nation's petroleum sector that has left hundreds of fuel pumps dry.
Panic sales
"It is expected their plants will come to a standstill as almost all of the technical and strategic posts at these plants are filled by Solidarity members," the union said in a statement.
Solidarity, whose members at Sasol do vital and technical work, also said state-owned petroleum group PetroSA would be hit by the industrial action.
There are fears that the return of holidaymakers at the end of the school holidays will worsen the petrol crisis.
There has been a sharp rise in “panic sales” by motorists who fear they will soon be unable to get petrol.
At least 250 of the 1 200 service stations in Gauteng had no petrol by Saturday, Rapport reported.
Many service stations in KwaZulu-Natal had apparently also run out of petrol. Shortages were also reported in Springbok and Upington in the Northern Cape.
“The situation has now reached a crisis point,” said Reggie Sibiya, executive head of the Fuel Retailers’ Association (FRA).
He said ambulances were struggling to get fuel.
AA spokesperson Gary Ronald said the organisation was worried that should the strike continue much longer, it would have an extremely negative effect on the whole economy and cause chaos on the roads.
The National Petroleum Employers' Association (NPEA) chairperson Mxolisi Ratsibe hoped the dispute would be settled by Monday afternoon.
"We are putting all our efforts and energy into finding common ground and sealing this on Monday.
"I'm hoping the talks will end this strike for the benefit of everybody," he said.
Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers' Union co-ordinator John Appolis said it was hoping for a new offer from employers on Monday.
The last meeting took place on June 24, when talks broke down.
The offer on the table at the time was seven percent, but the unions were demanding 11%.
Tens of thousands of fuel-sector workers began walking out on Monday, delaying deliveries and sparking panic-buying at service stations nationwide.
Meanwhile, the union Solidarity anounced it will start a pay strike at petrochemical group Sasol [JSE:SOL] on Monday, joining the walkout in the nation's petroleum sector that has left hundreds of fuel pumps dry.
Panic sales
"It is expected their plants will come to a standstill as almost all of the technical and strategic posts at these plants are filled by Solidarity members," the union said in a statement.
Solidarity, whose members at Sasol do vital and technical work, also said state-owned petroleum group PetroSA would be hit by the industrial action.
There are fears that the return of holidaymakers at the end of the school holidays will worsen the petrol crisis.
There has been a sharp rise in “panic sales” by motorists who fear they will soon be unable to get petrol.
At least 250 of the 1 200 service stations in Gauteng had no petrol by Saturday, Rapport reported.
Many service stations in KwaZulu-Natal had apparently also run out of petrol. Shortages were also reported in Springbok and Upington in the Northern Cape.
“The situation has now reached a crisis point,” said Reggie Sibiya, executive head of the Fuel Retailers’ Association (FRA).
He said ambulances were struggling to get fuel.
AA spokesperson Gary Ronald said the organisation was worried that should the strike continue much longer, it would have an extremely negative effect on the whole economy and cause chaos on the roads.