Row over exclusion of Whites from Bidvest's Education Trust policy
Trade union Solidarity has reported Bidvest to the South African Human Rights Commission over its Education Trust Policy.
Image: File
Trade Union Solidarity has reported one of South Africa's biggest companies, Bidvest, to the United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Rights and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), calling for an investigation into the company's "racial" practices.
Solidarity has complained that Bidvest’s policy was racially discriminatory and violated the SA Constitution and international human rights conventions by excluding Whites/
The Bidvest Education Trust programme offers employees earning less than R15 300 per month to apply for assistance with school fees, stationery, uniforms and extra classes for children in Grades 4 to 12.
However, the applications are limited to employees whose race can be described as “black, coloured or Indian”.
White employees, regardless of their needs, are excluded from support through this programme. Solidarity was of the view that the programme constituted a serious violation of the fundamental rights afforded to each South African under the Constitution.
Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity's chief executive, labelled the programme illegal, immoral, racist and discriminatory.
"Such a policy obviously does not rectify past injustices and sows division in the workplace by judging employees solely based on their skin colour.
“Solidarity would propose a class-based rather than a race-based approach to upliftment, as such an approach takes into account economic need. This is also what the UN prescribes. In contrast, Bidvest prefers a rigid, race-based policy that excludes white employees and their children, sending them the message that they do not deserve to be uplifted simply because of their skin colour,” said Hermann.
Several questions directed to Bidvest was not directly answered, instead the company provided a general statement. It read that Bidvest Education Trust, previously known as the Dinatla Trust, was established in 2003 as a CSI shareholding structure that formed part of the Dinatla, a broad-based black economic empowerment consortium that owned 35% of the Bidvest Group.
"In line with the principles and philosophy of the B-BBEE Act 53 of 2003, the Trust was formed for the sole purpose of uplifting historically disadvantaged individuals that are employees of the Bidvest Group. It has been operational for over 22 years and very successful in changing the lives of our employees and their families.
"As a South African company, the Bidvest Group will continue to work toward advancing workplace equality and inclusion as well as broadening the economic participation of Black people (African, Coloured and Indian) in the South African economy. We not only comply with, but fully endorse and support, the principles and objectives of the policies and laws of our country that are fundamental to achieving our collective economic and social ambitions," read the statement.
The SAHRC did not respond to questions at the time of publication.