Press Statement dated 25 October 2018
Today, during a protest march in Sandton in which thousands of people participated, Solidarity handed over memorandums to both Sasol and the JSE regarding the trade union’s objections in connection with the Sasol Khanyisa share scheme which excludes white workers based solely on their skin colour.
Thousands of people from the public, as well as many organisations from the Solidarity Movement, which include AfriForum, Solidarity Helping Hand, the FAK and the School Support Centre protested in solidarity with the Sasol workers and against racial exclusion in general.
According to Dirk Hermann, chief executive of Solidarity, the trade union is extremely satisfied with the outcome of the protest action as well as the day’s proceedings. “Today, thousands of people spoke in unison that it is wrong to exclude people based on their skin colour,” Hermann said.
“It is sad that we have to approach the court about something which can obviously not be justified morally. The total exclusion of any group of workers may never be justified. This form of racial exclusion also take place at other companies and therefore we decided to hand over a memorandum to the JSE as well,” Hermann said regarding Solidarity’s further action against Sasol and the memorandum to the JSE.
Solidarity further stated the following demands in its memorandum to Sasol:
- to grant all employees whose employment circumstances are comparable to those of the beneficiaries of the Khanyisa scheme but who are not beneficiaries of the said scheme, the same Khanyisa benefits; alternatively
- to grant all employees whose employment circumstances are comparable to those of the beneficiaries of the Khanyisa scheme but who are not beneficiaries of the said scheme, compensation to the same value as received by the Khanyisa beneficiaries.
Solidarity’s memorandum to Sasol can be found here.
Solidarity’s memorandum to the JSE can be found here.
Issued by Dirk Hermann, Chief executive officer: Solidarity