As Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan warned that SAA might not have the money for month-end salaries, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said it intended taking secondary strike action against Comair and in-flight catering supplier Air Chefs.
Gordhan, who has warned that the strike at South African Airways (SAA) by Numsa and the SA Cabin Crew Association is worsening the national airline’s financial position, told a briefing at Parliament: ‘SAA doesn’t have enough cash to possibly even pay salaries at the end of the month. Not only will people not get increases but they might not even get their salaries.’
SAA, which has cancelled a number of domestic and regional flights because of the strike, has said the unions’ demand of 8% is not affordable. The airline’s offer of 5.9% from next year has been rejected by the unions.
Numsa appears to be set on extending the industrial action, saying yesterday that it had issued to Comair a notice of intent to strike as part of a secondary strike, along with a notice to Air Chefs.
Comair, which operates British Airways in South Africa and low-fare airline Kulula, said it had contingency plans in place so as to continue operating, should ground or cabin crew embark on a secondary strike.