Trade Union, Solidarity has accused FlySafair management of threatening pilots with another 7-day lock-out should they not accept the offer the company tabled on Saturday morning.
The workers are demanding a 10% wage increase and have rejected the airline’s 5.7% offer.
The union says pilots are frustrated with the current unpredictable scheduling system. It says the schedule is causing frustration and leading to exhaustion.
Frustrated pilots are opting to resign. The union had requested a one-day strike, but in response, FlySafair instituted a 7-day lockout for pilots.
Deputy General-Secretary at Solidarity, Helgard Cronjé, says FlySafair management refused to continue negotiations with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration’s (CCMA) on Friday night.
“The lockout and strike at FlySafair can easily be resolved if FlySafair was only prepared to sit with us and the CCMA through Friday evening and the weekend to resolve all the other outstanding issues. This dispute mainly revolves around pilots who want one weekend a month off but also have a more predictable flight schedule but in the meantime the pilots are getting threatened by management. If they don’t accept the unfavourable conditions, they will be locked out for another week. In other words, FlySafair wants to frustrate passengers for another week.”
