Union set for Sasol strike after white employees excluded in empowerment scheme

A Sasol strike looks to be on the cards as trade union Solidarity demands action over white people not being excluded. Sasol has recently launched a new empowerment program that will not include all employees.

A Sasol strike: Empowerment issues

The scheme, Sasol Khanyisa has caused Solidarity to finalise a mandate for a strike against the energy giant. Last month, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) met with Sasol and the trade union over issues around the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment scheme.

The CCMA handed Solidarity a certificate of resolution. This means that the union can carry out a protected strike as long as it gives Sasol 48 hours notice.

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Solidarity deputy CEO Johan Kruger told Fin24 that the Sasol scheme excludes white employees. With the strike, the group hopes white employees will be included or handed their own scheme.

Sasol Khanyisa was approved by Sasol shareholders. The union is yet to decide on a date for the strike but is asking workers to speak out against racial exclusion.

Sasol has vowed to keep up “open and honest” engagement with the union.

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The company has described the new B-BBEE scheme as one of the company’s broader transformation strategy.

“We have taken these lessons on board and are confident that Sasol Khanyisa will lead to long-lasting, black ownership of Sasol,” Sasol said in a letter to employees.

“Unusual steps are required to address our unusual past. Transformation is far from complete and specifically targeting those that were previously disadvantaged remains a necessary, and regulated, objective for the country.”

Solidarity currently has 6300 workers at Sasol. The trade union says that if a strike does take place, Sasol has plans in place to make sure operations aren’t affected.