Sasol workers will march again on Thursday against Khanyisa shares scheme

SECUNDA – Members of the trade union, Solidarity, will take to the streets in Sandton on Thursday, 25 October to continue their protest against Sasol about its latest shares scheme.

Mostly white Sasol workers striked in front of Sasol’s main gate, Charlie 1 on Thursday, 6 September and continued with a slow strike since then.

The trade union is planning on marching to Sasol’s head office in Sandton and organised buses to transport employees from Secunda to Sandton.

Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive of Solidarity, said major traffic disruption is expected in Johannesburg on Thursday.

White employees are excluded from Sasol’s shares scheme, Khanyisa and according to Dr Hermann, the community will also support the march to show their support to Sasol employees.

The protesters will hand over a memorandum to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange market (JSE) and to Sasol’s head office.

Dr Hermann said at the same time Solidarity will serve court papers to Sasol to test the legality of the Khanyisa scheme.

“It is a pity we have to resort to the courts and take to the streets about exclusion based on race,” said Dr Hermann.

“We were under the impression that there was consensus in South Africa that the absolute exclusion of workers based on race was a thing of the past.

“The Mining Charter paved the way in finding a solution to this issue. After years of negotiation, government, trade unions, mining companies and communities agreed that all workers must be included in employee share ownership plans.,

“The premise is that workers are workers and that they should not be divided by race.

“Even the empowerment charter finds Sasol in the wrong.

“The company, however, chose to break the agreement for commercial reasons.”

After Solidarity members striked in September, Sasol and Solidarity had discussions at the CCMA to find a solution, but the trade union and petrol giant could still not reach an agreement.

“It is very symbolic to have the protest in Sandton, in the heart of major international and national capital and media interest.

“It is fitting that Sandton’s roads will be cut off because workers are being cut-off from employee share ownership plans.

“This march will put the issue on the international table.

“We have also decided to hand over a memorandum to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to send a clear message to all companies in South Africa that this type of racial discrimination is not acceptable.”

A convoy of buses and cars will leave from the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria at 8am on Thursday morning.

Various smaller convoys will come from other places in the country to join up with them. People who want to join the protest-goers can meet at the Rosebank Union Church from where buses will depart for Mushroom Farm Park in Sandton, where the march will begin at 11am.

Solidarity issued a press statement that Sasol warned share holders on the JSE about production loss due to the Solidarity strike.

According to this statement, fuel production would probably be between 200 000 and 300 000 tons lower this year and Sasol ascribes the loss to the time it took longer to complete the maintenance project (shutdown) and due to technical problems encountered.

“The delay in the maintenance project is a direct consequence of Solidarity’s strike in the beginning of September at Sasol,” said Dr Hermann.

“A statement such as this one sends ripples through the JSE.

“It creates major uncertainty among shareholders.

“The strike in September at Sasol was done in the middle of the shutdown and the withdrawal of the Solidarity members’ skills led to major disruptions in Secunda.

“We chose that time for the strike specifically because we knew that our members’ skills were needed for the maintenance project.

“Sasol and its shareholders are now paying the price for excluding its skilled workers from the Khanyisa employee share ownership plan.

“Solidarity members have shown Sasol what power lies in knowledge.

“The production loss which is amounting to millions of rands, and the decline in shareholder confidence will ultimately exceed the cost of what it would have cost the company to do the right thing by including white workers in the employee share ownership plan.

“Sasol is going to pay the price for its racial decision for a long time to come.

“Workers are still excluded from the plan and are being alienated.

“Production losses will continue to mount to reach even more millions of rands.

“We are amazed that Sasol would be prepared to absorb a loss of so many millions of rands for a racial plan that cannot be justified morally.”