The National union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) fully supports the strike by Ceppwawu members in the petroleum sector for a justified increase in their wages, and pledges the solidarity of Numsa.

Numsa members in all petrol filing stations across the length and breadth of the country have been having protracted negotiations with employers in the Motor Bargaining Council and being frustrated by employers who are refusing to make an offer that must settle this round of negotiations. That is why Numsa calls on the workers in the current strike of the petroleum industry to remain strong and resolute behind their demands on which we are currently in deadlock.
We have mediation resuming tomorrow. If the bosses who represent garage employers fail to make an officer Numsa will embark on a strike action in pursuit of our members’ demands and in full support of fuel refineries; so workers must remain strong and united, because united we stand divided we fall.
Numsa condemns any attempt by employers in the filling stations to use the Ceppwawu dispute, and the non-delivery of petrol, as a pretext to dismiss, or refuse to pay, their own employees and warns that this will be strenuously resisted. We call on all employers in the filling stations to pay our members’ wages in full or else we shall end up in a strike action both demanding our members’ increase on wages and secondly demanding that employers must pay all our members who are not allowed to come to work as a result of the current strike.
The union also warns these employers that unless their representatives in the Motor Sector – where negotiations have deadlocked – return to the negotiating table with serious proposals for improved wages and conditions of employment and an agreement is reached, these workers will take strike action in support of the their demands that Numsa’s negotiators have presented for weeks now .
We call on all progressive communities and our members to fully support both the current strike of workers in the fuel refineries and the demands of Numsa members across all sectors that are currently bargaining. We call on all our members to ready themselves for really big battles ahead to settle this round of negotiations.
Aluta Continua!
Irvin Jim, Numsa General Secretary: 073 157 6384