This archive report was first published on 13 November 2019.
South African Airways (SAA) is bracing for an indefinite strike by over 3,000 workers, including cabin crew, check-in staff, and technical staff, starting from Friday.
According to the unions, the strike is a result of a deadlock reached with SAA over wage demands, with the workers also demanding job security for at least three years.
"We are grounding the airline on Friday," said Irvin Jim, general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA).
The state-owned airline has been struggling despite several government bailouts, with a debt of 9.2 billion rand (around $620 million) that the government has agreed to reimburse over the next three years.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced the debt reimbursement plan in February, but the airline has not posted an annual profit since 2011.
The unions blame the SAA board and executive management for the crisis, accusing them of maladministration, rampant looting, and corruption.
"Through their actions, they have deliberately destroyed what used to be one of the world's best airlines," the unions said in a statement.
