As motorists look forward to the big fuel price decrease on 3 August, pumps at filling stations are running dry and there is no certainty that motorists will be able to fill up their vehicles.
On 1 August, most fuel stations in Johannesburg were without fuel, allegedly because retailers were reluctant to place orders before the substantial drop of fuel prices and not because of the ongoing strike in the petroleum industry.
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In Craighall, the BP filling station on Jan Smuts Avenue has been without fuel since 29 July. Pumps at some other fuel stations ran dry over the weekend while others only had limited stock and only certain grades of petrol and diesel.
Allegations suggest that most fuel stations were waiting for the fuel price to drop on 3 August which will allow them to purchase fuel at a lower price.
Executive director for the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), Avhapfani Tshifularo, has however blamed the strike in the petroleum industry on the shortage of fuel at filling stations.
Tshifularo alleged that striking employees were intimidating those who were not on strike, hampering the delivery of fuel to filling stations.
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He made an assurance that oil companies have sufficient fuel to meet demand, but intimidation at some terminals was hindering the safe delivery of petroleum.
Tshifularo urged motorists to stick to their usual patterns of refueling.
Head of department for collective bargaining at Chemical Energy Paper Printing Wood and Allied Workers Union, Clement Chitja, has however rubbished the allegation that the union’s members were intimidating others. He said their members were picketing peacefully.
“The only problem is space. There is not enough space for our picketing members at employer’s premises and those who are not on strike have to use the same road [where striking employees are picketing] to access the employers’ premises.”
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Chitja stated that no negotiations had taken place between their union and the employers since their members downed tools on 28 July. He, however, highlighted that the employers’ association had a meeting on 1 August, but they have not heard anything yet from them.
Efforts to get a comment from the Fuel Retailers Association proved fruitless.
