Solidarity and Safair still disagree

Dublin - It turns out that union Solidarity and Safair, the holding company of low-cost airline FlySafair, still do not see eye to eye.

Solidarity told Fin24 on Thursday it denies Safair's statement on Wednesday that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) dismissed the union's appeal on the grounds that it was attempting to exercise organisational rights it was not entitled to.

According to the CCMA, it rescinded its earlier decision as having been "erroneous" and substituted it with what Solidarity regards as a submission that provides the union with legal protection to proceed with industrial action if so mandated by its members.

Derek Mans of Solidarity, however, emphasised the union believes it would be in the employer and the public's interest to settle the dispute amicably.

In response to this view of Solidarity, Safair CEO Elmar Conradie told Fin24 on Thursday that for the sake of clarity one has to realise that Solidarity's dispute is not about its right to strike or negotiate salaries.

"It is purely about them being recognised as a union at Safair. The strike certificate they are trying to obtain is based on this dispute of recognition, and not a dispute about salaries or even the right to strike," said Conradie.

"All employees have the right to strike, regardless of whether they belong to a union."

According to Conradie, Solidarity has been seeking substantive rights within the organisation and has appealed to the CCMA to offer those rights on three occasions.

"On the first two, certain basic rights were awarded to them based on the commissioner's view of the role they play in the organisation," explained Conradie.

"At the third attempt - on March 30 - there was a discrepancy on the ruling of the second commissioner referred to by Solidarity, which resulted in the matter being referred to the Labour Court. The commissioner did order the previous commissioner to rescind his judgment, but did not, however, grant these substantive rights."

Conradie said at this stage Safair is awaiting a ruling by the Labour Court.

* Fin24 is a guest of Iata at its AGM.