South African Airways’ pilots have been delivered a ‘lockout’ notice that bans them from accessing the company’s premises until the South African Airways Pilots’ Association accepts the demands made by the airline’s rescue practitioners.
These demands include an adjusted salary scale for the pilots. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE)’s Director-General Kgathatso Tlhakudi says the pilots’ current salaries cannot be defended and are hindering the recovery of the struggling national airline, reports eNCA.
SAA’s pilots will be locked out of the company’s premises from Friday.
‘The proposed new terms and conditions are fair and competitive for a regional African airline,’ SAA’s Business Rescue Practitioners said according to MyBroadband. ‘In fact, SAA has among the highest cost base in terms of pilots’ salaries, meal allowances, leave and sick pay, and travel rebate benefits internationally. This cannot continue if the business rescue of SAA is to succeed.’
The ‘lockout’ commences on Friday, December 18 at 12pm and affects the airline’s 383 pilots. SAA entered business rescue in December 2019 after a long period of extensive financial difficulty.
Picture: Getaway gallery
