Riyaz Patel
Cabin crew and other workers at South African Airways (SAA) will go on strike from Friday over the struggling state airline’s plan to cut more than 900 jobs, unions said Wednesday.
The impending strike action comes despite a warning by the interim SAA CFO that “any industrial action will endanger the existence of South African Airways (SAA), and could destroy every job at the state-owned airline.”
“We are left with no choice but to resort to this drastic action by withdrawing our labour and going on strike,” Zazi Nsibanyoni-Anyiam, president of the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA), told a joint press briefing with the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA).
The strike would continue indefinitely, the unions said.
SAA said Tuesday it could slash more than 900 jobs as it restructures to stem severe financial losses
“We need to address the sustained loss making position of the past years and note with concern the union threats of industrial action,” said Fredericks.
“But by working together we can obtain the objectives of our turnaround strategy.”
On Tuesday, Numsa and SACCA blasted SAA for informing the workers of retrenchments “via the media.”
Fredericks’ response was that there was a ‘meeting’ which the unions did not attend.
“In the meantime, we will be preparing workers for the mother of all strikes at SAA (and) all its operations nationally. We have already received a strike certificate and we have concluded the balloting process,” Numsa and SACCA said in their joint statement.
Fredericks explained that there are currently two separate processes going on at the airline. He emphasised that both are necessary in the context of the serious challenges faced by the airline.
The one process is that of restructuring the airline and the other is a wage negotiation process. Numsa and SACCA are demanding an increase of 8% for its members.
Fredericks said labour currently represents 24% of SAA’s total cost. Together with fuel, it accounts for more than 50% of the airline’s costs.
“SAA is not competitive. We need the right people in the right positions,” said Fredericks.
Reports say SAA is currently under pressure to secure R2-billion in working capital, which it needs before November 20th, which is adding impetus to the restructuring process.
Numsa national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majoza said SAA has been “aware for some time” of the deadline to obtain R2-billion, adding that there are other ways the airline can obtain this money.
“They have not lifted a finger to recover money from those who have been implicated of corruption at the airline. A lot of money was lost because of looting and there have been forensic reports implicating certain people.
“The airline must go after them for money long before they come and ask labour to make sacrifices,” said Hlubi-Majoza.
