The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) warned passengers that flying with South African Airways (SAA) would be a safety risk because the national carrier was using short-term contracted staff who didn’t have ‘the requisite experience’.
This warning from NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola came as SAA reinstated international flights from last evening.
NUMSA and the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) said they would intensify their strike after the failure of a meeting with SAA management on Saturday under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA).
NUMSA and SACCA want a wage increase of 8% across the board, job security for at least three years, and the in-sourcing of more staff. Management is offering 5.9%.
When the airline announced that international flights would resume, Hlubi-Majola responded: ‘We are warning all passengers not to fly SAA, because your safety cannot be guaranteed. Our members are on strike. Learners in the technical environment and other staff are being used … without having the requisite experience. Some are on two-week contracts.
‘We are warning the public that if they fly SAA during this strike they are putting their lives at risk. We ask the CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] how they can allow such a situation to exist, by placing the lives of the public at risk?’