SAA pilots to go on strike

Ahmed Areff - SA Airways (SAA) pilots have sent a notice of intent to embark on a strike at the airline, starting today, a week before schools are expected to close and the December peak season starts.

SAA said late on Tuesday night that it was "doing everything possible to avoid a strike by pilots, or any disruptions to SAA operations, especially during the December peak season," but meeting their demands for a salary increase would bankrupt the airline.

The SAA Pilots Association's (SAAPA's) initial demand, tabled in May, was for a 30% increase in salaries. It later reduced this to 15.7%, including benefits.

SAA has offered increases of 8.46%, backdated to 1 April.

Interim SAA CEO John Lamola said in a statement that while the airline recently reported a "modest profit", its finances were not strong enough, and it can "no longer expect shareholder contributions or recapitalisation from the fiscus".



Operational viability

SAAPA could not be immediately reached for comment.

"Ironically, the pilots have chosen to go on strike exactly on the fifth anniversary of the day SAA was placed in business rescue in 2019. SAA cannot return to the lucrative benefits that SAA pilots have historically enjoyed. Acceding to SAAPA current demand for a 15.7% wage increase will trigger SAA’s decline into bankruptcy," Lamola said.

"SAA has only recently regained its operational viability after emerging from business rescue in 2021.

“In order not to disrupt this momentum, we are committed to ongoing negotiations with SAAPA and to do everything possible to reach a fair settlement that is mutually beneficial to both the pilots and the company."

The airline said it was implementing contingency plans to minimise any disruptions to operations. - Fin24