'Chaos at airport': SAA asks court to halt cabin crew strike as 32 flights cancelled

National carrier South African Airways is arguing in the Labour Court for an urgent interdict to block a strike by the SA Cabin Crew Association‚ which is opposing the action.

SAA filed papers with the Labour Court‚ calling on it to declare the strike by scores of cabin crew employees illegal. Workers had deserted flights‚ calling for an increase to their international travel allowance.

SAA wants the court to make an urgent order which will see workers immediately returning to work‚ saying there was “complete chaos at the airport”.

In its papers‚ it requested that the court declare “the strike … to not be in compliance with Chapter VI of the Labour Relations Act and therein unprotected.”

• Passengers frustrated by cancelled SAA flightsPassengers expecting to use South African Airways flights on Wednesday have been angered by the cancellation of several flights from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.  

It also wants the court to issue an order which would restrain the association from participating in the unprotected strike or encouraging workers to participate in the strike.

Cancelled

Thirty-two SAA flights were cancelled by noon as the impact of the strike was felt on the eve of the May Day long weekend.

This is up from the six that were reported by SAA in the mid morning when aircraft departing from coastal cities early on Wednesday morning were impacted.

SAA said the cancelled flights included 28 domestic‚ three regional and one international flight.

• 'Give us the money. We love the dollar' - SAA cabin crew say as strike bitesThe South African Cabin Crew Association is due in the Labour Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday while the majority of its members picket outside the offices of South African Airways over meal allowances.  

The airline said the required number of cabin crew members were currently not available to enable SAA to operate all of its flights.

The strike action follows a notice of industrial action by one of the labour unions representing its cabin crew members‚ the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA).

Options were being considered on how to accommodate passengers affected by the cancellations.

The airline said it would provide further updates on what options were available to its customers.

These included combining some of the cancelled flights to minimise the impact of the delays customers would experience as a result of flight cancellations.