Unionized South African Airways pilots begin nationwide strike

Unionized South African Airways (SAA) pilots have begun a nationwide strike to demand higher salaries.  

The SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA), which represents these pilots, confirmed that the strike began on December 5, 2024, at 07:00 local time. Some pilots were seen protesting outside the SAA office at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

As a result, on December 4, 2024, the airline canceled flights to Perth, Australia, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, after SAAPA confirmed the strike would proceed, Khaya Buthelezi, the airline’s Senior Manager of Corporate Relations, told Reuters.  

“That’s the decision we took last night since we could not find partner airlines that we can transfer our customers to, it became clear that those two routes must be cancelled,” Buthelezi said. 

However, early on December 5, 2024, there were no reported disruptions to domestic flights or routes within Africa because the airline had “made contingency plans”, Buthelezi added. 

In a press release, published on December 3, 2024, SAA management said they were “doing everything possible to avoid a strike by pilots, or any disruptions to SAA operations, especially during the December peak season.” 

The strike is a result of a wage disagreement between the airline and the union. The union initially asked for a 30% pay rise, which was later lowered to 15.7% along with additional benefits. In response, the company offered an 8.46% salary increase, the press release continued. 

The SAA said that its final wage proposal, presented to the SAAPA union on September 24, 2024, is “significantly higher than the general salary increases in South Africa in 2024.”  

John Lamola, CEO of South African Airways, said the carrier recently reported a “modest profit the airline “may not by any means claim to be in a financially robust position” or “expect shareholder contributions or recapitalization from the fiscus”. 

“Ironically, the pilots have chosen to go on strike exactly on the fifth anniversary of the day SAA was placed in Business Rescue in 2019,” Lamola said. “SAA cannot return to the lucrative benefits that SAA pilots have historically enjoyed. Acceding to SAAPA current demand for a 15.7% wage increase will trigger SAA’s decline into bankruptcy.”  

So far there is no official end date for the strike.  The post Unionized South African Airways pilots begin nationwide strike appeared first on AeroTime.

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