September’s petrol price hike may prove just one blow too many to South Africa’s already struggling workers and consumers, trade union UASA said on Friday.
Earlier the Department of Energy announced that all grades of petrol would increase by 36 cents a litre on Wednesday.
”What we will no doubt experience is a ripple effect on production prices, causing consumers to pay more for goods at the counter while an already struggling manufacturing industry will find it even harder to compete and survive,” UASA spokesperson André Venter said in a statement.
”Listening to the announcement just yesterday [Thursday] of imminent massive Eskom tariff hikes together with this announcement of fuel price increases makes one wonder how much more the working class will be able to absorb,” he added.
The Department of Energy also said that the wholesale price of diesel with a 0,05% sulphur content would increase by 35 cents a litre, while diesel with a 0,005% sulphur content would cost 36 cents a litre more.
The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin would rise 21 cents a litre and the single maximum national retail price for illuminating paraffin by 28 cents a litre, the department stated. — Sapa