VOA标准英语2010年-Fuel Industry Strike Threatens to Plun

Darren Taylor | Johannesburg 03 September 2010

Thousands of fuel and motor industry employees in South Africa have joined a national public service strike in the country, but many others continue to resist union calls for them to stay away from work.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, or Numsa, is demanding a 20 percent wage increase for its members.  But fuel and motor sector¹ employers are offering workers a mere² six percent salary hike.

Economists⁴ say a prolonged deadlock⁵ will lead to widespread petrol and diesel⁶ shortages.  This, they assert, will result in severe inconveniences to private citizens and great damage to South Africa’s economy.

Fuel workers paid ‘peanuts’

All over the country, fuel stations, motor manufacturers and car dealerships are closing.  Many of those that remain open are severely⁷ short-staffed and are operating at minimal⁸ capacity.

Negotiations⁹ between Numsa and employers’ associations are ongoing¹⁰, but there’s little sign of an agreement being reached soon.

“The Numsa demand is just too huge; we can’t meet it; not even close,” says Reggie Sibiya, chief of South Africa’s Fuel Retailers’ Association.

But Numsa’s convinced it’s justified¹¹ in demanding such a significant increase as it asserts its members – especially fuel pump attendants – are paid “peanuts.”

“I take home about 2,000 rand ($ 280) a month,” says Johannesburg attendant Dumisa Biyela.  “How can we be expected to survive on wages like that?  I have three kids.  It’s inhuman¹².”

At protest gatherings¹³ all over South Africa, fuel sector workers have urged Numsa to “fight” employers for a better deal for laborers¹⁴.  Unionists are urging all South African fuel industry employees to join the strike.

Some workers defy strike orders

Some fuel pump attendants, however, continue to report for work…. but in civilian¹⁵ clothes.

“If we wear our uniforms, the strikers will victimize us.  We may even lose our lives,” A Johannesburg attendant, who asked to remain anonymous¹⁶, told VOA.

Police have arrested a number of striking petrol pump attendants after they allegedly assaulted their colleagues who had reported for duty in defiance¹⁷ of the union call to support the industrial action.

Another worker at a Johannesburg filling station, Moses Nhlaka, told VOA he and his colleagues would not join the strike, as they were not Numsa members.  But another attendant, Bryan Phaahla, says a “full blown” strike in the fuel sector could happen at anytime, although there’s “confusion” amongst workers about this.

“Yesterday we were on strike.  We just came (to work) today.  We don’t know what’s happening, whether this strike is still on or it’s still off,” says Phaahla.

Fuel supply in jeopardy¹⁸

Some workers at fuel supply depots¹⁹ are now also on strike, boosting concerns that pumps across South Africa could run dry in the near future.

“This would cause chaos²⁰ in all sectors²¹ of our economy.  Basically, the country would come to a standstill.  But we are hoping at all costs to avoid such a situation,” says Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese.

Yet chaos there is in some parts of South Africa.  In Johannesburg, petrol station owner Dave Hutchings, assisted by two relatives, was hard at work filling customers’ cars.  He said some of his staff had reported for work on Thursday morning, only to be “intimidated” into leaving their posts by striking colleagues.

Hutchings is convinced he’ll suffer “incredible losses” because of the strike.

“We have to close all our (fuel pumps).... for the night shift.  There’s no way we can stand here and man the forecourt, just two or three of us, for 24 hours,” he said.

Transport disrupted

Private South African citizens are also suffering.  Nanny and domestic worker, Maria Mnguni, works in Johannesburg, but returns by means of minibus taxi every weekend to her home village 200 miles away, in Mpumalanga province.

Clutching the crying baby she’s paid to take care of, she says, “I can’t go home because the taxis they don’t have the petrol.  It’s very bad for me because I am staying far from Joburg; I can’t see my kids; I can’t see my children so it’s bad for me.  It’s very bad!” she exclaims.

Economist³ Paul Roodt says the fuel and motor industry strike has the potential to “cripple” South Africa’s economy.

“We’re still dealing²² with the effects of the global economic recession in these industries, especially the motor industry.  We’ve just seen an upturn²³ in the motor sector, but this strike will probably undo²⁴ all this good work and see us going back to square one, which is not a good place to be at all,” he maintains.

“It is up to the employers to end this strike; our position is clear but we are willing to negotiate in good faith,” says Ngobese.

He adds, “We are going to spend the next few days to go back to leaders of the union, to go back to members, and have a proper discussion, about the current offer that’s on the table.  We’re hoping that by the end of the coming weekend, we (will) find a clearer way forward about what to do with the offer and what to do with the strike.”
 

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

6 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

7 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

8 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

12 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

13 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

14 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

15 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

16 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

17 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

18 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

19 depots   

仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。
• In the coastal cities are equipped with after-sales service and depots. 在各沿海城市均设有服务部及售后维修站。

20 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

21 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

23 upturn   

n.情况好转

参考例句：

• Experts have forecast an upturn in the stock market.专家已预测股票市场价格有上升趋势。
• The economy is experiencing an upturn.经济正在好转。

24 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。