Independent News reports that the Department of Employment and Labour’s (DEL’s) essential services committee is to examine whether the production, transportation and distribution of fuel should be declared an essential service.  

Such a pronouncement would prevent workers in the sector from embarking on strike action.  The committee announced on Friday that it would hear evidence across the country next month on the matter.  In recent years, the fuel industry has been hit by crippling strikes led by the biggest trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), and Cosatu affiliate, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu).  The Labour Relations Act allows interested parties to ask the committee to conduct an investigation into the possibility of the sector being declared an essential service.  Fuel Retailers Association chief executive Reggie Sibiya said on Saturday that the organisation would participate in the investigation.  The committee will determine whether the entire sector, or part of it, should be declared an essential service.

• Read the full original of the above report by Loyiso Sidimba at Independent News

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