This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
Published on November 16, 2019
South African Airways Faces Strike Over Restructuring Plans ¶
South African Airways (SAA) is facing a major crisis as over 3,000 workers, including cabin crew, technical, and ground staff, went on strike on Friday to demand higher pay and protest against restructuring plans that involve heavy job losses.
The strike has forced SAA to cancel more than 300 domestic and regional flights between Friday and Monday, causing significant disruptions to the airline's operations.
Despite the disruptions, SAA has announced that unions have agreed to start talks on Saturday, mediated by an independent labour dispute resolution body.
"It is in the public interest that this dispute be resolved," said Martin Kemp, an SAA human resources manager, in a statement on Saturday, adding that the unions' "willingness to find a resolution" was "laudable".
The strike is a result of SAA's announcement earlier this week that almost 1,000 employees could lose their jobs as part of a restructuring process.
Unions are demanding an eight percent across-the-board pay hike and a three-year guarantee of job security, while SAA is offering a 5.9 percent pay rise.
"Our efforts are focused on finding solutions that accommodate the employee demands, safeguard the business and return operations to normal," said Kemp.
"We are exploring all possible avenues," he added, describing the current situation as a "critical time" for the company.
SAA is one of the biggest airlines in Africa, employing over 5,000 workers with a fleet of more than 50 aircraft providing dozens of domestic, regional, and international flights each day.
However, the carrier is deep in debt, despite several government bailouts, and has not posted a profit since 2011.
According to SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali, the airline is losing 52 million rand ($3.5 million) per day due to flight cancellations.
