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The strike by pilots at South African Airways (SAA) began in earnest on Thursday morning as the airline reportedly abandoned the negotiation table in a dispute over a 15.5% demand for bonuses dating back to Covid-19 austerity measures.
The National Transport Movement (NTM) which is engaged in the strike in tandem with the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA), confirmed on Thursday morning that aviation workers would hold out until the demand is met.
"We intend to pursue the action until they accede to our demands. We have made all efforts to engage and our efforts have been rebuffed. We tried to engage with the CEO but he walked out of the meeting," NTM General Secretary Ephraem Mphahlele said.
Mphahlele confirmed that the bone of contention was a 15.5% addition to the Pilot's packages dating back to when salaries were slashed by about 50% during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The wage dispute dates back to May 2024, when SAAPA initially demanded a 30% salary increase, which was later reduced to 15.7% plus benefits.
SAA, however, maintained its stance with an 8.46% increase, citing it as a fair offer benchmarked against international salary trends and the general increases in South Africa.
Mphahlele said unions were flexible to negotiate on other matters on the table including benefits but would not budge on the salaries.
'At this stage, we are waiting on the company to come to the table, it is the only matter standing between us," he said.
The South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA), though affected by the strike, has not indicated its position.
The work stoppage has affected all SAA flights on major domestic and regional routes, including services between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and operations to Namibia and Mauritius.
Partner-airline flights including code-share and Star Alliance services will go ahead as scheduled.
According to an SAA travel advisory, customers booked on affected flights were urged to consider re-accommodation to the next available SAA service.
If passengers prefer not to be rescheduled, they can choose a different date within the same cabin class.
Agents are advised to maintain clear communication, as passenger contact details may be listed under their details rather than the agent’s.
In an earlier statement, SAA Interim CEO John Lamola highlighted the irony that the strike begins on the fifth anniversary of SAA’s business rescue in 2019 and pointed out the airline’s recent strides toward operational stability following its emergence from business rescue in 2021.
He warned that agreeing to SAAPA’s demands would risk pushing SAA into bankruptcy, undoing the progress made since its rescue.
Lamola conveyed that while SAA remains committed to continued discussions to reach a fair solution, the pilots’ demands are unsustainable.
He noted that returning to pre-business rescue salary benefits would compromise the airline’s financial health.
He reiterated that SAA’s current offer aligns with the increases granted to other staff members in June 2024 and international standards.
BUSINESS REPORT