On 9 September, the union handed over a memorandum of demands to the Fuel Retail Association and the Retail Motor Industry’s offices in Randburg.
Workers demanded a R30 per hour increase on actual rates of pay across the board for all workers earning above R6 000 per month by 2016.
The strike saw some petrol stations in Johannesburg and other provinces closing temporarily, amid reports of intimidation of non-striking workers.
Cashiers and managers at most stations attended to motorists who came to fill up.
UPDATE: 11 September at 4.42pm
National Union of Metal Workers of SA (Numsa) has pointed fingers at ‘rotten elements’ for the recent incidents of intimidation on non-striking petrol attendants.
“We are suspicious that rotten elements, particularly criminals might be hijacking our genuine and legitimate strike, in order to undermine our wage grievances with the stinking rich bosses. We always encourage our members to exercise maximum discipline wherever we embark on strike actions,” Spokesperson Castro Ngobese said.
Ngobese said union members would never act outside the ambit of the law.
“Any evidence that suggest otherwise, the union is duty bound to apply its disciplinary code of conduct in such circumstances.”
Ngobese said if the employer was willing to settle or resolve the strike, they should with serious offers to resolve the strike.
“We have consistently stated our principled commitment to meet with them provided their give us a decent wage offer, we can take to our members for a mandate,” he added.
Planned marches will take place in Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and the Free State provinces on 12 September.
UPDATE: 9 September at 4.15pm
The petrol attendants strike will continue until workers’ demands are met, said Numsa’s Irvin Jim.
Jim encouraged more workers to join the strike.
Hundreds of workers marched to the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) offices in Randburg to hand over a memorandum, demanding a wage increase.
FRA’s Reggie Sibiya who signed the memorandum of demands, said the the association initially offered a 9. 5 percent increase to avert the strike, but the offer was withdrawn and reduced to 7 percent.
UPDATE: 9 September at 12.32pm
Petrol attendants have gone on strike this morning demanding better wages.
Workers will gather outside the National Union of Metal Workers SA (Numsa) regional office in Randburg on Voortrekker Road and later march to the Fuel Retailers Association offices in Oak Avenue, Randburg.
UPDATE: 29 August at 6.47pm
Strikes are looming in South Africa as various labour sectors take to the streets to air their grievances.
On 26 August South African Airways technicians, construction workers, metal workers, motor manufacturing workers, clothing and textile workers among others, all affiliated to their respective unions, went on strike after wage disputes.
Police administrators were the latest to join the fray on 29 August.
More labour strikes were expected across major provinces, as petrol attendants were set to strike on 2 September.
Other sectors to down tools included car dealership employees, panel beaters, mechanics, truck body and trailer builders.
According to National Metal Workers Union (Numsa), the mediation for negotiations between the union and employer reached a deadlock on 19 July.
Workers are demanding better living wages, improved conditions of employment and service.
Numsa spokesperson Castro Ngobese said the demands included a R3 per hour increase across the board. They were also asking for a R30 per hour increase on actual rates of pay across the board in all sectors and divisions for all workers earning above R6 000 per month by 2016.
