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The National Bargaining Council for the Chemical Industry has withdrawn Sasol's variation licence - for employees to work overtime - due to health and safety concerns.
According to the letter by the Bargaining Council to Sasol on Monday, which Fin24 has seen, the company’s variation licence GP 11/17 is suspended with immediate effect.
The Bargaining Council received several complaints by trade union Solidarity of unsafe operating conditions at the chemical company’s Sasolburg operations. The licence was granted to Sasol by the Council on October 23 for 12 months and could be withdrawn at any time, at its discretion.
Solidarity embarked on phased industrial action at the chemicals giant on September 3, in protest against the broad based black economic empowerment scheme, Khanyisa which it claims discriminates against white employees.
Overtime to affect shutdown?
The union wrote several letters to the Bargaining Council complaining of “unsafe conditions” at Sasolburg during the strike and questioned whether workers were informed of their rights to withdraw from unsafe working conditions, afforded rest periods and training.
Solidarity’s chemical sector coordinator and Bargaining Council Chairperson Gerhard Cloete questioned whether Sasol will be able to continue with its scheduled shutdown programme after the licence for overtime has been suspended.
According to the Council, the suspension will remain in place, pending the resolution of the health and safety contraventions at the Sasolburg operations and the matter will be addressed by the organisation’s Operations Committee “as a matter of urgency”.
Sasol did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement on Sunday, the company denied claims that conditions at its Sasolburg plant were unsafe and said that it continues to ensure the running operations and shutdown schedule progress safely.
Meanwhile on Monday, Solidarity again applied for permission to embark on a one-day sympathy nationwide strike to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) after the high court ruled in the union's favour on Friday.
Parties will also meet at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on Wednesday in a bid to break the deadlock.
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