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Strike looms at Mango over wage dispute

Johannesburg - Trade union Solidarity said on Tuesday its members at airline Mango would go on strike if a drawn-out wage dispute is not resolved this week.

The union, which represents more than 90% of the pilots at the low-cost airline, said it would meet Mango representatives on Thursday in an attempt to reach a settlement.

Solidarity spokesperson Ilze Nieuwoudt said Mango pilots earn 40% less than their counterparts at Comair and 60% less than pilots at South African Airways (SAA), even though Mango is owned by SAA.

Furthermore, Mango's chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout earned 202% more in 2011 than in 2009, after a raise of 32.4% in 2010, a 2.8% increase in 2011 and bonuses of about R1.5m and about R2m in 2010 and 2011 respectively, according to the union.

The aim of this year's wage negotiations was to begin a process to bring Mango pilots' remuneration into line with that of the rest of the industry over the next five years.

The union said a year was not enough to implement an adjustment, and supported an approach of phasing it in over five years to alleviate pressure on the company.

"However, Mango's offer of a wage increase of just 6.5% will not contribute to this process by any means and will result in Mango pilots' remuneration falling further behind compared with the rest of the industry," said Nieuwoudt.

Since wage negotiations started in August, Mango improved its wage offer by less than a percentage point, from 5.6% to 6.5%, despite a dispute meeting at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

The CCMA subsequently issued a strike certificate to Solidarity in October. Solidary wants a minimum wage increase of 13% for all pilots.
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