A strike in the industrial chemicals and petroleum sector seems unavoidable after dispute negotiations came to naught this week, according to the trade union Solidarity. This could halt the production of petrol, gas and paraffin in the near future, it cautioned on Thursday.
“We remain hopeful that the employers will come up with a better offer in order to avert a strike, but at the moment a strike seems inevitable,” according to Marius Croucamp, Solidarity’s spokesperson for the chemical industry.
Trade unions Solidarity, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union, the South African Chemical Workers’ Union and the General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa are threatening to strike.
According to Solidarity, the bargaining council for the industry is already in possession of a strike certificate, in terms of which trade unions can go out on strike after having given 48 hours’ notice.
Employers in the industrial chemicals sector are offering a 7,5% wage increase and those in the petroleum sector 7%. The unions are demanding 12%, but have indicated that they are willing to settle on 10%. This was rejected by the employers, according to Solidarity.
“It is clear from events that the employers do not recognise the value of their workers,” said Croucamp. The trade unions will now ask their members for a mandate. If members decide to strike, notice of this intention must be given 48 hours before the start of the strike.
Industry giant Sasol announced last week that its 2007 earnings were as much as 65% up on the previous year.
“It is intolerable that the bosses are always the ones who benefit from the increased earnings. Sasol’s executive directors received an overall package increase of 30% in 2006. How can the company refuse to consider a 10% demand from the workers?” Croucamp asked.
If the strike goes ahead, approximately 20 000 employees in the industry may join in. Solidarity represents approximately 6 400 of these workers.
In the meantime, a dispute was declared in the glass sector on Thursday after employers failed to arrive for the second day of negotiations. — I-Net Bridge