This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
BL Premium reports that the Automobile Association (AA) has cautioned motorists to limit non-essential travel due to the spectre of fuel shortages caused by the recent riots.
It has also warned of further fuel-price hikes in August. Based on unaudited mid-month fuel price data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), the AA says petrol is set for an 87c/l hike, diesel 58c and illuminating paraffin 56c in the first week of August. The petrol price reached a record high in July. The AA commented: “Fuel prices were already trending higher before the widespread looting and unrest of the past few days. But now, the daily rand-dollar exchange rate has spiked from R14.35 to nearly R14.80 since June 12. SA imports a lot of fuel, which will inevitably cost more in rand terms. Meanwhile, international oil prices remain on the advance, adding further pressure.” The association also said that fuel supply to many areas could be affected if the shutdown of Sapref, SA’s largest crude oil refinery, was protracted. The Durban-based refinery, which supplies a third of SA’s fuel, stopped operating on Tuesday due to the ongoing violence in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). There have been sporadic reports of petrol stations running out of fuel in Gauteng and KZN, and Gauteng may face further shortages due to large sections of the N3 freeway, the main delivery route, being closed due to the violence. The SA Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) said the availability of fuel was stable at the moment.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denis Droppa at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page