Unions vow to ramp up pressure with 'secondary strike in aviation' over SAA

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the SA Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) met with SAA management on Saturday in a bid to resolve an impasse in negotiations on wages and other issues.

But the parties could not “find one another” during the discussions, Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said in a statement on Sunday.

SAA reinstated flights to seven international destinations on Sunday as a crippling strike by staff continued.

While some international flights resumed, domestic flights were not operating as the strike entered its third day.

Thousands of SAA workers affiliated to Numsa and Sacca downed tools at 4am on Friday. Passengers were forced to seek alternative flights — many of which were fully booked in the scramble to get seats.

SAA reinstated some international flights on Sunday. Spokesperson Tlali Tlali said: “Whilst some employees are on strike and have elected to do so in exercising their rights, the airline has a duty to render services to its customers where it has employees who have elected to report for work.”  

The seven destinations are New York, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong, Perth, London, Frankfurt, and Washington. Flights will depart from OR Tambo International Airport.

“The meeting ended without us finding one another. It is clear to us that the management of SAA is not prepared to do what is necessary to save the airline and end corruption,” said Hlubi-Majola.

One of the stumbling blocks was the issue of insourcing, a key demand by the unions which, they said on Sunday, the airline refused to accept.

“Both Numsa and Sacca have resolved that the strike must be intensified. This is because the board together with some executive managers would rather see SAA collapse, than deal with rooting out corruption, looting and maladministration. SAA must drastically reduce its costs. And insourcing services which it has the capacity to offer internally is an obvious solution.”

Ramping up the pressure, Numsa said it was in the process of consulting workers for “a secondary strike in aviation”.

Consultations had already begun with entities such as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Mango airlines, Safair, SA Express, Airports Company SA (Acsa); Reshebile security, Morena cleaning, Vizini, (a maintenance company), Azda, Swissport, Bidair services and Comair.

The union was also consulting airline catering companies such as Airchefs, Food Direction, LSG SkyChefs, and Dnata.

“This is a fight for survival for all workers in aviation. We are fighting against retrenchment, corruption and privatisation,” said Numsa.