South Africa Oil Companies Improve Pay Offer to Try End Strike, Union Says

(Bloomberg) -- BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and
other oil refiners in South Africa improved their wage offer to
local workers in a bid to end a strike that has led to fuel
shortages in Africa's largest economy.

``We can't say yet what the improvement is,'' Welile
Nolingo, secretary-general of the Chemical, Energy, Paper,
Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (CEPPWAWU) said by phone
from Johannesburg today. ``We're still negotiating.''


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Workers at Oil Refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan May Go on Strike Tomorrow

(Bloomberg) -- Workers at Federated Co-operatives
Ltd.'s 100,000 barrel-a-day oil refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan,
may strike as soon as tomorrow, a union official said.

Workers voted in favor of a strike, which can legally begin
at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow, Kate McKinley, a spokeswoman for
the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, said
in an interview today.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Platinum's Neilson, Australia's Newest Billionaire, Avoids Share `Fashion'

(Bloomberg) -- Kerr Neilson, manager of Australia's
biggest international equity fund, says he doesn't care about
short-term returns or the latest top stocks. That's probably a
good thing, since the fund is underperforming this year.

Neilson is buying shares of some of the world's biggest
companies, including Microsoft Corp. and International Paper Co.
for the A$9.5 billion ($7.8 billion) Platinum International Fund.
Since its launch 12 years ago the fund has returned more than
twice the Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News