Strike hits SA’s largest oil refinery

The SAPREF facility in Durban refines 190 000 barrels of crude oil daily - but it’s at a standstill because of a wage strike.

Cape Town - South Africa's largest oil refinery, a joint venture between Shell and BP (SAPREF), stopped operations on Thursday due to a strike over wages, a trade union official said.

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SAPREF, situated in the Durban port, refines 190 000 barrels per day of crude oil.

“The refinery is at a standstill. There is no production from today,” said Musa Bhengu, the KwaZulu-Natal regional secretary for the CEPPWAWU union.

A spokeswoman for SAPREF did not answer calls for comment.

REUTERS