Giant petrochemicals firm Sasol said it was confident that workers who planned to strike at the company would accept a new pay offer given to trade unions on Thursday.
On top of its 6,5% salary increase, Sasol also offered a further 1,5% hike on employees’ housing subsidies.
”… due to longstanding circumstances related to the affordability of housing … it was considered prudent to address this at plant level and these housing allowances have been increased by 1,5%,” Sasol spokesperson Andre Botha said.
”These increases have been communicated to all the trade unions represented at Sasol that are involved in these negotiations.
”We are confident that it will be accepted by all the trade unions and that any potential industrial action, that would not have been in the interests of all staff, has been averted,” he said in a statement.
Sasol’s new offer could help avert a potentially damaging strike at the company, which trade union Solidarity had planned to embark upon.
Earlier on Thursday, Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans said the strike could be called off once members of the trade union accept the new salary offer from Sasol.
He said the union would recommend to its members that they should accept the new offer.
”Our members’ greatest unhappiness stemmed from their belief that the company could well afford a better increase than the 6% of the original offer.
”We believe that the additional amount for housing will address one of the biggest concerns of our members, ie. the sharp increase in property prices,” Kleynhans said.
”Solidarity is at present soliciting mandates from its members and has already recommended that they accept the offer.
”This means that the possibility of a strike in the petroleum industry has probably been averted,” he said in a media statement. – Sapa