JOHANNESBURG- South African Airways (SAA) faces an imminent strike by the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA) today, December 5, as wage negotiations reach a critical impasse.
The dispute centers on the pilots’ salary increase demands, which have evolved from an initial 30% request to a more recent 15.7% proposal.
SAA Pilots Strike Today
The airline has firmly positioned itself against meeting the pilots’ wage expectations, warning that such concessions could trigger financial collapse, Flight Global reported.
Interim Chief Executive John Lamola emphasized the carrier’s precarious financial position, stating unequivocally that SAA “cannot return to the lucrative benefits that [its] pilots have historically enjoyed.”
Despite recently reporting a modest full-year profit of R252 million for the 2022-23 fiscal period, SAA maintains it lacks the financial resilience to accommodate significant salary increases. The airline has countered SAAPA’s demands with a backdated 8.46% wage rise, which the pilots have rejected.
Lamola warned that acquiescing to the 15.7% wage demand would “trigger SAA’s decline into bankruptcy,” underscoring the critical nature of the ongoing negotiations.
SAA interim Chief Executive John Lamola highlighted the symbolic timing of the potential pilot strike, occurring exactly on the anniversary of the airline’s entry into business rescue in 2019.
The carrier, which emerged from a business rescue in 2021, views the industrial action as a critical threat to its hard-won operational recovery.
Lamola emphasized SAA’s fragile operational momentum, stressing the company’s commitment to continued negotiations with the SAA Pilots Association. He underscored the organization’s dedication to achieving a mutually beneficial settlement that protects both pilot interests and the airline’s financial stability.
The impending strike threatens to disrupt the peak travel season, with SAA actively preparing comprehensive contingency measures to mitigate potential operational disruptions.
The airline asserts its current salary offer substantially exceeds national average increases and aligns precisely with compensation adjustments granted to other SAA personnel during the current fiscal year.
Impact on Flights
SAA updated the flight schedule in response to the impending industrial action by pilots affiliated with the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA) and the National Transport Movement.
The strike will comprehensively disrupt SAA’s domestic and regional flight operations, specifically impacting key routes connecting major metropolitan centers.
Affected routes include critical connections between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Windhoek, and Mauritius.
The airline strategically clarified that flights operated through partner airlines, including codeshare and Star Alliance partners, will remain unaffected by the industrial action.
Interim Chief Executive John Lamola characterized the situation as “regrettable” while emphasizing the airline’s commitment to passenger transportation. SAA has pledged to ensure passengers reach their destinations through strategic re-accommodation strategies and limited schedule adjustments.
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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