SAA pilots pass unprecedented vote of no confidence in their bosses

Pilots working for South African Airways on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion of no confidence in both the chairperson and the non-executive board directors of the national carrier.

Captain John Harty, chairman of the SAA Pilots Association, said in a statement their concerns included:

• the precarious financial situation at SAA,
• the controversial Airbus deal and possible breaches of the Public Finance Management Act and/or Company’s Act,
• the decimation of the Board and the Executive Leadership team, as well as
• the impact of recent statements made by the Chairperson on the authority of the Captain of the aircraft.

A total of 472 pilots attended in person and by proxy for the vote, at a Special General Meeting in Kempton Park: 457 pilots voted in favour of a motion of no confidence, two pilots voted against the motion and 11 pilots abstained.

Harty said the motion had been communicated to the SAA Board and to the Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene.

“It is hoped that this vote will serve as a clarion call to Minister Nene and the government that the future of SAA requires immediate and urgent attention and that a new board, fit for purpose and able to deal with the challenges currently facing the airline, be appointed as soon as possible,” he said.

The leasing arrangement with Airbus, reached in March, is a crucial part of  SAA’s turnaround plan. However‚ Business Day reported that SAA chairwoman Dudu Myeni – without the agreement or involvement of  SAA  executives – unilaterally informed Airbus last month that the contract would be renegotiated.

The March deal to lease five A330 wide-body planes to SAA will reportedly be changed to an outright sale to a third party that would purchase the planes on  SAA ’s behalf. The third party has not been named by Myeni – either to Airbus  or  SAA ’s executives.

Earlier this year, Myeni also raised the ire of pilot by citing their salaries as one of the major factors affecting the airline’s financial position.

Myeni said SAA pilots are a "paltry" 12% of the national carrier’s total workforce in South Africa, but accounted for more than 40% of the airline’s salary bill. On its calculations, the airline believes it could save R75 million by renegotiating pilot contracts.