The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is angered and outraged by SASOL’s Chief Executive Officers’ scandalous and excessive pay increase and remuneration package, amidst starvation and poverty wages enjoyed by workers in various key strategic sectors of our economy.
SASOL’s CEO David Constable has been given a 68% pay increase, which makes his total package worth R53, 7 million per annum. The justification for this immoral pay increase, we are told is to match his salary package with those of comparable “global” resources companies.
This excessive increase enjoyed by SASOL’s CEO and other CEO’s of privately owned companies is a slap in the face of cheaply-paid and exploited workers. Furthermore, it is morally wrong and justifies the wage demands tabled by workers.
South Africa is not only the most unequal society in the world but is also fast becoming a country with high levels of impoverished workers who justifiably harbor anger about the deepening crisis of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Our condemnation and out-right rejection of SASOL’s CEO huge pay should also be located and understood within the context of SA Communist Party’s (SACP) calls for the imposition of windfall tax on SASOL’s super-profits. We have been severely affected by domestic investment strike, as epitomized by SASOL and others, since there will be investing R200 Billion in imperialist United States (US), thus SA’s hard-earned surplus or profits is de-invested out of our economy, to create jobs and re-industrialisation of crisis-ridden US economy. We demand the imposition of this windfall tax by the Treasury on SASOL, in order for its super-profits to be re-invested in our own economy as part of resolving the triple crisis of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
It is not surprising that the so-called economists and independent analysts are not publicly rebuking or raising a finger against this excessive increase of SASOL’s CEO. It is the very same analysts and economists that moan about “inflexible labour laws” and workers’ “excessive” wage demands. It is the very same people that ring false alarm bells that workers’ strikes demanding an equal share of the profits are chasing away foreign investment.
We reiterate our call for the introduction of a super tax for the rich, in order to deal with and reverse the widening income gap between the rich and the poor.
Contact:
Castro Ngobese
National Spokesperson
Mobile: 0810111137
Tel (dir): 0116891702
Twitter: @castrongobese
Email: castron@numsa.org.za
Website: www.numsa.org.za