SECUNDA – The trade union, Solidarity, received feedback from Nedlac where they applied to legally strike against Sasol’s latest shares scheme, Khanyisa.
“Nedlac approved the strike three months after we applied,” said Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive of Solidarity.
“In terms of the Nedlac decision, all of Solidarity’s 180 000 members can now embark on a legal strike action against Sasol’s Khanyisa scheme that excludes white people.
“This is a historic decision which will put the exclusion of white people under the spotlight.”
Solidarity filed this application on 25 July, but had to go to the High Court after Nedlac initially turned down the application.
Dr Hermann said Solidarity’s members and management were frustrated by the way in which the process was drawn out.
“It seems as if it was a shock to the system that white people dared to strike over racial exclusion and unfair discrimination.
“Nedlac is supposed to facilitate protest, not to frustrate it.
“Through strike actions like this, we want to challenge companies such as Sasol that are professing that it is morally correct to completely exclude people and to do so on the basis of race.”
Solidarity also embarked on a legal process to ask the Labour Court to give a ruling on whether Sasol’s exclusion of white employees is lawful.
“Following the Nedlac decision, we will now revert to our members about a possible strike mandate.
“One of the possibilities are to coincide with the court case, however, we will let our members guide us in this decision,” said Dr Hermann.
Some Solidarity members already took part in a legal protest action in Secunda on Thursday, 6 September and in Johannesburg on Thursday, 25 October.
