Solidarity will soon initiate mandating process for further action

SECUNDA – The trade union Solidarity said last week it would pursue its dispute with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) against Sasol for excluding white people from its new empowerment scheme, Khanyisa.

The Ridge Times reported in January that Solidarity intended to declare a dispute that could ultimately climax to its members embarking on a strike action. This comes after Sasol announced at the end of last year that its existing employee shareholding scheme, which comes to an end on 18 May, would be replaced by Khanyisa that will be implemented from the middle of 2018.

According to Solidarity’s chief executive, Mr Dirk Hermann, the first scheme, Inzalo, followed trends in the mining industry and as such included all employees.

He said in terms of the new scheme, no recognition would be given to white employees though. They would be totally excluded from this scheme.

“This employee share ownership deal is unfair and constitutes nothing but blatant discrimination against loyal Sasol employees based on the colour of their skin,” Mr Hermann said in a media statement released on Thursday.

Mr Hermann furthermore said that the new scheme by means of two phases distinguishes between two categories of employees.

Also read: Sasol employees eat at cafeteria – end up in hospital

During the first phase, shares worth R100 000 would be paid out to all former Inzalo members. However, phase two would only apply to black employees who would receive shares to the value of about R500 000.

“This means that a white employee who has 30 years’ service would, for example, only receive a fifth of the shares compared to what a black employee, who has only been working for Sasol for three days, would receive,” Mr Hermann pointed out.

In Sasol’s formal feedback about Khanyisa it said that by including white people in the employee shareholding scheme would go against the essence of meaningful transformation.

“We believe it is unfair to distinguish between two employees who work shoulder to shoulder. We are convinced that employee shareholding schemes that are more inclusive do exist. For this reason, we have already instructed an expert to formulate an alternative proposal,” Mr Hermann said.

“White employees’ frustration has reached boiling point. They feel that their loyal service, as well as the value they add to the company mean nothing. Solidarity will soon initiate a proper mandating process among members regarding further action to be taken about such exclusion based on race,” Mr Hermann concluded.