Unions at South African Airways (SAA) have threatened to embark on a strike after the airline announced an intention to embark on retrenchments.
SAA said in a statement on Monday evening that it would be restructuring its operations, which would affect some 944 jobs. The total workforce of the company stands at 5,146.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) have expressed dismay at the move, and denounced SAA for allegedly failing to consult on the matter.
The job cuts were communicated through the media.
Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said: ‘Basically they unilaterally decided to embark on this process without consultation and we are finding out like everyone else through the media.’
She added that SAA had denied the unions’ demands for wage increases.
The unions warned that the ‘mother of all strikes’ would be undertaken to enforce their demands against the company.
Acting chief executive officer of CEO, Zuks Ramasia, said that the company’s financial position had been deteriorating for years. The retrenchments were a response to this. ‘We urgently need to address the ongoing loss-making position that has subsisted over the past years,’ she said, ‘That is why we are undergoing a restructuring process that seeks to ensure effective implementation of the accelerated long term turnaround strategy amidst the present prevailing operational challenges.’