Share

Union to oppose jobs cuts in SAA restructuring

Johannesburg -  The UASA union "will take a stand against" any restructuring at cash-strapped South African Airways (SAA) if it leads to job losses, spokesperson Willie van Eeden said on Friday.

SAA is considering selling some of its units, its chief executive said on Thursday, marking a potential policy shift by the ruling party to save the cash-strapped carrier.

UASA represents about 30% of ground staff and cabin crew of the national carrier.

“There was communication between acting SAA CEO Nico Bezuidenhout and the press giving feedback on the 90-day turnaround plan,” Van Eeden told Fin24.

“We got a mail from SAA’s HR indicating that they will start a Section 189 with regard to retrenchments.”

“He [Bezuidenhout] clearly stated that SAA would make use of attrition with rationalisation,” he said.

“If we are served with a notice, the question will be what the company has done to prevent it.”

"We will take a stand against any restructuring or sale of business if it leads to jobs losses for our members," he told Reuters.

The labour and communist alliance partners in the ANC have opposed the privatisation of state firms such as SAA.

Bezuidenhout said there had been some interest from buyers for some of the airline units, including its catering division, and the government would take a decision on whether to sell the department within months.

Bezuidenhout also said the national carrier was considering listing its no-frills airline unit, Mango, which has been operating domestic flights since it was founded in 2006.

"There has been interest in some of the constituent parts of the group ... a company like Air Chefs for example, we all know that there's interest in that entity," he said, referring to the company's inflight and airline lounge catering business.

SAA, which has received two government bailouts totalling R10bn, is in the middle of a turnaround strategy after the government rebuffed another cash injection.

- Reuters and Fin24.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders