Solidarity intensifies fight over Sasol share scheme

Sasol should grant all employees whose circumstances are comparable to beneficiaries of its Khanyisa share scheme access to the same benefits.

This demand was contained in a memorandum presented by Solidarity to Sasol on Thursday.

The union marched to Sasol headquarters in Sandton‚ Johannesburg‚ as it demanded that white employees be included in phase 2 of Sasol’s Khanyisa share scheme.

In its explanation for excluding white employees from the share scheme‚ Sasol said the intention of the share scheme was to create meaningful financial benefits for approximately 230‚000 black public shareholders and qualifying employees.

Sasol said it also wanted to achieve 25% direct and indirect black ownership of Sasol South Africa Limited.

In its memorandum‚ Solidarity said an employee share ownership plan‚ in terms of which shares were exclusively allocated on the basis of race - such as Khanyisa - violated the provisions of the Employment Equity Act.

The union said the scheme created a difference in terms and conditions of employment between employees who performed the same‚ or substantially the same‚ work or work of equal value that was directly based on considerations of race.

“Kindly take note that if you fail to give effect to the aforementioned demands‚ we will proceed with litigation against you‚” the memorandum read.

Dirk Hermann‚ CEO of Solidarity‚ said the union was 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.

The union also marched to the JSE‚ where it demanded that the stock exchange's empowerment segment be revised to ensure that listed empowerment share ownership schemes were not race-exclusive.

It also demanded that the JSE notify Sasol that its Khanyisa plan had to be revised and that its nature of race exclusivity be changed. It further added that other companies perpetuating the same kind of discrimination should be notified that they too must change their practices.