(English follows)
21 September 2016
DKD weer skuldig aan rassediskriminasie – Solidariteit
Kort op die hakke van die konstitusionele hof se uitspraak dat die DKD op grond van ras teen sewe van sy personeel gediskrimineer het, het die KVBA bevind dat die DKD weer skuldig is aan rassediskriminasie. Dit volg nadat mnr. Philip Kitching oor die hoof gesien is vir ’n vakante direkteurspos in Noordwes weens die feit dat hy ’n wit man is, wat volgens die DKD oorverteenwoordig is op daardie vlak.
Solidariteit het die Kommissie vir Versoening, Bemiddeling en Arbitrasie (KVBA) weens diskriminasie in die werkplek genader nadat mnr. Kitching aan al die minimum vereistes vir die geadverteerde pos voldoen het, maar hy nie as ’n moontlike kandidaat gekortlys is nie.
Volgens Johan Kruger, adjunkbestuurshoof van Solidariteit, het die vakbond namens sy lid aangevoer dat hierdie handeling ingevolge artikel 6(1) van die Wet op Billike Indiensneming op onbillike diskriminasie in die werkplek neerkom. “Die KVBA het ons gelyk gegee dat die uitsluitlike inagneming van die nasionale rassedemografie met die kortlys van kandidate vir die pos en in die afwesigheid van ‘n geldige diensbillikheidsplan onbillike diskriminasie daargestel het. Die kommissaris het beklemtoon dat om iemand op grond van sy ras en geslag nie te kortlys nie, ’n totale belemmering op sy bevorderingsgeleenthede in die werkplek plaas, en dit word uitdruklik ingevolge artikel 15(4) van die Wet op Billike Indiensneming verbied,” het Kruger verduidelik.
Volgens Kruger het die KVBA ’n bedrag skadevergoeding aan mnr. Kitching toegestaan en ook beveel dat die DKD stappe moet doen om te verhoed dat soortgelyke onbillike diskriminasie of soortgelyke praktyke, naamlik dat geskikte kandidate doelbewus bloot op grond van ras uitgesluit word, weer plaasvind.
“Hierdie beslissing is maar net weereens ’n bewys dat onbillike diskriminasie op grond van ras met hand en tand beveg moet word. Solidariteit sal steeds aanhou om die geveg teen hierdie praktyke te lei,” het Kruger gesê.
Lees die voledige artikel: Klik hier.
21 September 2016
DCS once again guilty of racial discrimination – Solidarity
Hot on the heels of the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the DCS has discriminated against seven of its staff members on the basis of race, the CCMA found that the DCS was guilty of racial discrimination once again. This comes after Mr Philip Kitching was passed over for a vacant director’s position in the North West Province due to the fact that he is a white man and therefore, according to the DCS, over-represented at that level.
Solidarity approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) due to a case of discrimination in the workplace since Mr Kitching met all the minimum requirements for the advertised position, but was not shortlisted as a possible candidate.
According to Johan Kruger, Deputy Chief Executive of Solidarity, the trade union argued on behalf of its member that in terms of section 6 (1) of the Employment Equity Act, this action constituted unfair discrimination in the workplace. “The CCMA agreed with us that solely taking the national racial demographics into account when shortlisting candidates for this position and the absence of a valid employment equity plan constituted unfair discrimination. The Commissioner emphasised that not shortlisting someone based on their race and gender placed an absolute barrier on their opportunities for advancement in the workplace, and that is clearly prohibited in terms of section 15(4) of the Employment Equity Act,” Kruger explained.
According to Kruger, the CCMA awarded an amount for damages to Mr Kitching and also ordered that the DCS should take steps to prevent a recurrence of such or similar unfair discrimination practices in future, namely that suitable candidates are deliberately excluded solely on the basis of their race.
“This ruling proves yet again that unfair discrimination based on race should be fought tooth and nail. Solidarity will continue to lead the fight against these practices,” Kruger said.
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