Johannesburg - Deliveries of fuel have improved in regions affected by the fuel strike as employees return to work, the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) said on Thursday.
This comes a day before unions and petroleum companies are set to resume wage negotiations on Friday.
"The petroleum companies have offered an 8% wage increase which is in line with the basic minimum wage and the cost of living - this offer is considered to be reasonable by Sapia member companies," it said.
Avhapfani Tshifularo, executive director of Sapia, encouraged unions "to give this generous offer serious consideration".
Said Tshifularo: "Sapia looks forward to a positive resolution following the meeting at the bargaining council tomorrow."
Although its members have not yet accepted the wage offer, the trade union Solidarity has suspended its strike and returned to work.
But the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) and two other unions are continuing with the strike.
Ceppwawu said on Thursday the strike would continue because union members were not satisfied with the employers' offer.
"We are meeting again for talks tomorrow but we cannot suspend the strike," said Clement Chitja, head of collective bargaining for Ceppwawu.
Employers met with unions on Monday, offering a 10% wage increase for workers at the lowest level, raising their minimum wage from R4 000 to R4 400 per month. Other levels were offered 8%.
"The offers did not fulfil the mandate of the union and so we cannot accept them," Chitja said.
Last Monday, 70 000 members of Ceppwawu, the Allied Workers Union and the General Industries Workers Union of SA downed tools.
The two-week strike has resulted in hundreds of petrol stations running out of fuel.