After an agreement was signed over the weekend to end a multi-week wage strike by petrol attendants, local attendants returned to work on Monday.
According to local garage owners, everything is back to normal.
Workers have been on strike for more than three weeks, demanding an across-the-board increase of R30 an hour by 2016 on actual rates of pay in all sectors and divisions for workers earning above R6 000 a month.
Employers were offering a 7.5% increase in wages, which was rejected by Numsa.
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Fuel Retailers’ Association (FRA) finally came to an agreement over the weekend after three weeks of wage talks.
FRA CEO Reggie Sibiya said they are pleased to have come to a position of agreement with Numsa.
This comes after labour minister Mildred Oliphant intervened in the negotiations between Numsa and employers of petrol attendants and vehicle industry workers on September 23, calling for a speedy resolution.
According to the general secretary of Numsa, Irvin Jim, a pay rise of R2 per hour for petrol attendants has been secured.
He said this meant workers would get an 11.6% increase. Workers will also receive a 9% increase for 2014 and again in 2015.
Jim added if they had not signed, the minister would not have been able to sign off immediately on the increase.
“That would have meant that the increase would have only been effective in November,” he concluded.
