JOHANNESBURG – Workers and employers in South Africa’s petroleum sector have agreed on a two-year wage deal, a labour union said on Tuesday, averting a repeat of last year’s strike that left hundreds of dry pumps across Africa’s biggest economy.

Labour union Solidarity said in a statement the deal includes an 8 percent pay rise for 2012 and a consumer price index (CPI) plus 2 percent increment from April 2013.

Solidarity said the agreement for next year was on condition that should CPI drop to below 5 percent, the raise would not be below 7 percent. Should inflation rise above 8 percent then the wages would be raised by not more than 10 percent, it said.

Sasol, PetroSA and Engen are some of the biggest employers in the sector.