Solidarity (South African Trade Union) - Litigation

Litigation

In 2013, Solidarity sued the Department of Correctional Services on behalf of one white and four coloured Correctional Services officials in the Western Cape who alleged they were denied promotions due to the department's employment equity policy. The department set its employment equity targets based on national demographics, but coloured and white people make up 49% and 16% of the population of the Western Cape respectively, while each form only 9% of the national population. This makes it more difficult for white and coloured employees in the Western Cape to gain promotions than a policy which set different employment equity targets for each province. Solidarity called the policy "irrational". Another five applicants were later added to the case.

The ANC in the Western Cape called the suit an "attack on employment equity", and accused the applicants of "stirring up racial antagonism between Africans and coloureds".