The ongoing pilot strike and lockout at South Africa’s largest airline has officially entered its second week, as striking pilots rejected FlySafair’s final offer over the weekend.
Trade union Solidarity says that FlySafair submitted a final offer over the weekend to resolve the dispute between the two parties and end the lockout, but it failed to address the core issues pilots have been raising.
Solidarity says that salary increases are not the core issue of the dispute between pilots and the airline, but rather the issue is around the pilots’ scheduling system and work-life balance.
“Important requests, such as at least one guaranteed weekend off per month and a more predictable shift roster, were addressed inadequately,” said the union.
In an interview on Newzroom Afrika, Solidarity spokesperson Helgard Cronje said “the offer in terms of the rostering system, had no meaningful commitments.”
“The offer was vague, and it doesn’t set proper rules where pilots have actual input into the rostering system to address their concerns,” said Cronje.
“It leaves several legal loopholes that don’t protect the rights of our members.”
FlySafair’s response
FlySafair Chief Marketing Officer Kirby Gordon argued that the airline put forward an opportunity that would allow it to preserve key operational and productivity requirements while allowing pilots to determine and change the rules over time.
Kirby said this was “very clear, not at all vague, and very meaningful.”
Solidarity said that conditions are currently so bad that ten pilots have resigned from FlySafair in the last month to pursue better working conditions elsewhere.
It also said that the salary scales FlySafair shared were not based in reality, stating that if they were accurate, most pilots would gladly accept, and stated that FlySafair’s claim that pilots only work 63 hours per month is misleading, as it only refers to flight hours.
“This figure refers only to flight hours and excludes the actual working hours, which include preparation, training, administration, and standby time, amounting to roughly 180 hours per month of which 63 hours of flying is done.”
The failure to reach a resolution means that the lock-out has entered its second week, with disruptions continuing.
Gordon said that FlySafair continues to operate a reduced flight schedule.
More than two thirds of FlySafair pilots are back at work, and their schedules have been cut down by around 30% as negotiations continue.
Source: https://topauto.co.za/news/134828/major-update-in-flysafair-pilot-strike/
