JOHANNESBURG – South Africa's mainly white Solidarity union will begin a strike today at petrochemicals firm Sasol over a share ownership scheme offered exclusively to black staff.
Under black economic empowerment rules, local companies are required to meet quotas on black ownership, employment and procurement as part of a drive to reverse decades of exclusion under apartheid.
“We intend to switch off a different section of Sasol each day by means of well-laid and strategic plans,” the union said.
Sasol, world leader in the technology that converts coal and gas to fuel, said last year it would raise its black ownership levels in Sasol South Africa to at least 25 percent in a R21 billion deal.
Solidarity which has 6 300 members at Sasol's local operations, said it would embark on the strike action due to the company's new staff share scheme excluding white employees which it previously called “blatant discrimination against loyal Sasol employees”.
Sasol received the notification from Solidarity and said it was open to engagement.