31 March 2026
The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) notes the joint announcement by the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy on short-term measures to respond to the sharp increase in fuel prices.
FEDUSA welcomes the decision to reduce the general fuel levy by R3 per litre from 1 April to 5 May 2026. This intervention is necessary and overdue. Workers have been absorbing repeated cost shocks across fuel, electricity, and food, with no corresponding relief on the income side.
This measure will provide some breathing room. But it is not enough. A one-month intervention, even with the possibility of review, does not match the scale or persistence of the crisis facing workers. Fuel costs do not operate in isolation. They feed directly into transport costs, food prices, and the broader cost of living. What workers are experiencing is cumulative pressure, not a once-off shock.
FEDUSA is therefore clear that short-term relief cannot substitute for structural reform.
We note government’s assurance that there is sufficient fuel supply and that reported shortages are linked to localised distribution challenges and panic buying. While this may be the case, the impact on workers is the same. When fuel is not available where people live and work, it becomes a livelihood issue. Government must act decisively to stabilise distribution and communicate clearly to avoid unnecessary panic.
FEDUSA further notes the commitment to review the fuel pricing framework and to develop a broader package of support measures. This process must not happen behind closed doors. It must be urgently tabled at NEDLAC where organised labour and other social partners can be part of the process. Workers cannot be expected to carry the burden of decisions they are excluded from.
FEDUSA will be advancing the following in these engagements:
A full review of the fuel price structure, including the role and sustainability of all levies.
Targeted and sustained relief for workers who rely on private transport for work and have no alternatives.
Greater transparency in how fuel prices are determined and adjusted.
Practical interventions to resolve distribution inefficiencies that create artificial shortages.
We are also concerned by the framing of the intervention as fiscally neutral. Workers cannot be given relief today only to pay for it tomorrow through other measures. Any attempt to recoup this revenue must not shift the burden back onto households that are already under severe strain.
FEDUSA will continue to engage, but also to mobilise where necessary, to ensure that workers are protected in both the immediate term and through long-term reform of the fuel pricing system.
END.