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Cape Town - South African Airways (SAA) announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has made "considerable progress" with the current wage negotiations dispute with labour unions represented at its maintenance subsidiary SAA Technical (SAAT).
On Friday, 29 September 2017, SAAT was served with a notice of intention to embark on industrial action by the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU).
The strike notice was served in accordance with the labour laws and, according to SAA, this has not affected its flight schedules in any way.
"To mitigate any possible strike action SAA began to review and update its contingency measures to ensure business continuity and to minimise the impact of any strike action on its operations," spokesperson Tlali Tlali said in a statement.
Since the notice was served, management obtained a revised mandate from the SAA board of directors. A meeting took place on Wednesday with three labour unions, namely SATAWU, UASA (formerly the United Association of SA) and the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa).
A revised offer was presented to the unions.
"The offer was not immediately rejected and the unions requested time to consult with their members. Feedback will be received during the course of the day from two unions and from the third union by Thursday, 5 October 2017," said Tlali.
"Management remains committed to working jointly with the labour unions to find solutions that accommodate the employee demands, safeguard the business and to avert possible industrial action."
Tlali said that, while SAA appreciates the demand for salary increases, this must be done while being mindful of current financial constraints the national airline is facing. Such demands must, therefore, be tested against affordability and sustainability principles in wage negotiations.
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