Cape Town – Low-cost carrier Mango is embroiled in a wage
dispute with its pilots that could lead to a strike which could threaten holidaymakers' plans for
December.
Mango is a subsidiary of state-owned carrier South African Airways (SAA).
Mango’s pilots want an inflation-linked increase plus an additional 7% for every year for the next three years.
That amounts to around 14% per year.
The pilots are represented by Solidarity. The union
represents 60 of the airline’s 65 pilots.
Solidarity spokesperson Nico Strydom said the union
declared a dispute with Mango earlier this month, which has now been
referred to the CCMA.
“For now there’s no strike. It depends on what happens today
at the CCMA. If we can’t reach an agreement, the CCMA wil issue a strike
certificate. Following that, Solidarity will first approach our members for a
mandate.”
Solidarity said Mango pilots are not remunerated as well as
pilots flying for other low-cost carriers in South Africa.
“Mango pilots earn 30% less than pilots at Comair and 45%
less than pilots at SAA, even though Mango belongs to SAA,” said
Strydom.
He said Mango wants pilots' remuneration to be compared to
1Time Holdings [JSE:1TM].
1Time pilots earn on average 3% more than Mango pilots, but
many of the 1Time pilots are contract workers.
“We believe our members should be earning the same as pilots
flying for Kulula,” Strydom said.
Mango spokesperson Hein Kaiser said Mango does not
negotiate through the media.
In a short statement, he said: “Mango will continue to seek a
mutually beneficial outcome, taking into account challenges that face global
aviation and the current context of the South African aviation sector.”
Earlier this year SAA pilots accepted a nominal increase following the airline's loss of R1.3bn. That loss included Mango’s results.