Employees of two local airlines are downing tools on Monday‚ union officials said.
South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) members at SA Airlink will on Monday embark on a strike‚ the union said.
“The 110 workers are employed as cabin crew at the regional airline and are disgruntled that the company refuses to accede to their pay increase demand. Workers are demanding a 32% increase while the company is only offering 10%‚” the union said in a statement.
The demand is fuelled by the fact that the company increased pilots’ salaries by 32% and is expecting cabin crew to be content with a 10% increase‚ the union said.
“Pilots are paid in excess of R40‚000 per month‚ while the lowest paid cabin crew member makes R6‚500. Airlink employs 220 pilots‚” Satawu said.
“SATAWU also intends to address racial undertones at the company as black female cabin crew are not allowed to wear their hair natural as the airline deems it unprofessional‚” the union said.
Pilots at budget airline Mango are also launching a strike on Monday after wage negotiations with the company failed.
Deon Reyneke‚ a spokesperson for trade union Solidarity‚ said workers were demanding an 8.5% increase.
“The company is offering 6%. Our demand is 8.5%‚” he said.
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