Deepest gratitude to CEPPWAWU " - what on earth for?

"HEAVEN alone knows why Advocate Rams Ramashia, non-executive chairman of BP Southern Africa and joint chairman of the Sapref Refinery, should feel the need to "express (his) deepest gratitude to both CEPPWAWU and the National Petroleum Employers Association (of which he is himself a member!) for achieving an amicable resolution to the wage dispute" . This dispute left the country's industry and motorists short of fuel these last two weeks and wasted a great deal of money Even if Ramashia's statement is part of the usual diplomatic mumbling that takes place on such occasions, the facts are that union members have only gained about a 1% increase above what they were originally offered. In the process they have lost pay, two refineries have been shut down for a week and the costs to the country have been enormous. Until the refineries are up and running again," we will rely on imports" as yet another spokesman for BP pointed out. Hum. So foreign exchange will be spent on making up the difference. Refinery workers will work overtime (at more cost) to get up to speed again. And no doubt private road transporters will have to be employed to do the work of hauling fuel ie the jobs of the workers who struck. Deepest gratitude to CEPPWAWU indeed! The Law of Unintended Consequences looms into view once more. What if it is cheaper to use outside contractors to haul fuel? What does that do for your job security, oh CEPPWAWU big wigs? BP has the largest number of trucks and drivers in the industry from all accounts. Not for long, Spigot predicts. Aristocrats of labour better put their thinking caps on.