Solidarity has Sasol in a stranglehold
Chaos broke out this weekend at Sasol’s plant in Sasolburg when the focus of Solidarity’s strike shifted to Sasolburg. By rights, a steam plant at Sasol 1 should have been shut down on Saturday morning as striking workers were not going to report for the day shift. Solidarity members, who had been on duty for the night shift on Friday night, had offered to work longer on Saturday morning to ensure the safe shutdown of the plant.
However, Sasol decided to keep the plant in question operational, running it with staff who do not have the necessary clearances and certifications to work on the plant. This, of course, gave rise to major concerns about the safety of employees on the plant. The decision to keep the plant running with the services of employees who are not duly qualified to do so, is reckless.
Meanwhile, Solidarity has directed a letter to the Department of Labour to bring Sasol’s course of action to the department’s attention and to express its concern about management’s decision that could compromise the safety of employees.
Moreover, Solidarity’s members also had to endure victimisation and threats from, among others, management and this while the employees in question are participating in lawful labour action. According to Solidarity Deputy General Secretary Deon Reyneke, Solidarity also indicated in a letter to the company that management would be held liable should their course of action bear any negative consequences or any loss whatsoever.
According to Reyneke, the plant is now run by persons who had last worked at Steam Station 1 ten years ago. “At the moment, there is no one on the plant who is certified as competent to work there with the exception of a foreman who was brought in as a contractor to work on the night shift on Saturday. At the moment, Sasol’s action is far from responsible and the plant is being operated unlawfully,” Reyneke said.