FNB today send out a mass reply email to everyone who supported the Solidarity campaign to put pressure on them (FNB) regarding their racial policies surrounding the financial support to employees who earn less than R 100 00.00 per year.

I originally blogged about this in the posting titled: FNB for blacks only? Area B.

Here is their reply:

We refer to your email as indicated below.
24 December 2009, Johannesburg: The 'Beeld' newspaper dated 24 December
2009 incorrectly stated that First National Bank is following a racist
policy regarding the exclusion of white employees from an education
scheme.
The correct facts are:

• FNB (First National Bank) does not practice racist policies.
• FNB is compliant with Government legislation relating to BEE and  Employment Equity and the Employment Equity Act.
• FirstRand launched a far-reaching BEE scheme comprising 9.5% of its issued share capital as announced in February 2005. The FirstRand Staff Assistance Trust was part of this overall scheme.
• The scheme was formed for the benefit of Black South African employees of the FirstRand Group. By definition, the BEE scheme was limited to Black, Indian, Coloured and Chinese employees (as defined by the Financial Sector Charter).
• The purpose of the FirstRand Staff Assistance Trust is to support the needs of Black, Indian, Coloured and Chinese employees in the field of education and healthcare.
• Access to funds is based on a needs analysis and is evaluated by the appointed Trustees to ensure that the BEE scheme does indeed achieve its desired upliftment objectives.

Regards,
FirstRand Group Limited

Well this is convenient I think... not.  So basically what they (FNB) are now doing is to hide behind government BEE policies and saying that based on those policies that this is not racism.

Why don't they just have the guts to say to government that these policies according to the "law and act" are racial of nature and that they will include white employees in their internal policies?

Why doesn't FNB grow a pair and do something about the new injustices?

Now according to the article in the Beeld today, FNB will be looking at ways to legally comply with the government regulations and benefit white employees at the same time.  Well FNB, that is a start but you are still part of the problem.  Take a firm stand dammit and do something more - challenge the policy and stop hiding and shifting the blame to the government.

But I guess that makes them Proudly South African in all ways.  We shift the blame to apartheid and the government.  We do not have the back bone to speak for ourselves anymore.

FNB, I think you are just spinning some PR to get out of the shit you created for yourself.  When you signed the agreement in 2005 you knew that this day would come.  You had 4 years to prepare an alternative and "legal" way to justify the racial policy and you did nothing.

I still lay it before your door that you support internal racial policies.