Reuters reports that trade union Solidarity has been given a mandate by senior members to strike at energy giant Sasol over its plan to launch a share ownership scheme exclusively to black staff.  

This was indicated by a union source on Tuesday.  The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) last month cleared the union, which represents predominately white workers, to strike over the dispute.  “Our senior representatives gave us the mandate to go on strike today.  We will now start the process to do a strike vote with all our members,” the source told Reuters.  Under black economic empowerment rules, South African companies are required to meet quotas on black ownership, employment and procurement as part of a drive to reverse decades of exclusion under apartheid.

• This short report by Ed Stoddard is at Moneyweb

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