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Fin24 reports that pharmaceutical retailer Dis-Chem has imposed a moratorium on hiring white people in a bid to improve its employment equity profile.
In a letter to senior management dated 19 September, CEO Ivan Saltzman announced the moratorium, which includes external appointments and internal promotions. "It’s the ratio between white and black that counts. So, when no suitable black candidate is found, and a white is appointed, we need several blacks just to maintain the status quo, never mind moving forward," wrote Saltzman. He referred to employment equity targets, and said that as Dis-Chem was a listed group, these "are harsh measures and necessary if we are to remain profitable and to avoid a potential fine of 10% of turnover which would cripple the business". Saltzman said the achievement of set employment equity targets would be incorporated into the bonus structures of management. On Friday, Solidarity shared the internal memo in a tweet, with its CEO Dirk Hermann indicating that the trade union had sent Dis-Chem a legal letter about the "harsh" racial stance in it. He asked "how on earth a letter like this could ever have been written in the first place". While Hermann claimed that Dis-Chem had retracted the memo, Dis-Chem told News24 Business that the "memo still stands, and Dis-Chem reiterates its commitment to the transformation journey".
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nick Wilson at Fin24
- Lees ook, Dis-Chem hét brief oor wittes gestuur, by Maroela Media
- En verder, Herrie oor Dis-Chem se ‘moratorium op wit werkers’, by Maroela Media
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