South African Airways (SAA) reportedly has a bloated and overpaid management team, with 250 managers overseeing only 750 staff members.
National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) national spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said that at a cost of R300 million ‘Does that sound like a new airline?’ and that SAA staff members had had their salaries cut by 35% and lost many benefits.
‘Normal SAA employees had their salaries slashed, they get no medical aid, and they have no meal allowances or even a lunch hour.’
Hlubi-Majola says that the management team is earning exorbitant salaries with very generous employment packages. SAA workers’ salaries were allegedly benchmarked against low-cost airlines like Mango, while executive salaries were benchmarked against international standards.
Consequently, some staff members were picketing at the airline’s head office to get their grievances heard.
Responding to the picket, the SAA head of HR, Mpho Letlape, said they would not be able to go back to everything that existed pre-business rescue.
SAA also released a statement saying ‘[SAA] is confident that all new agreements reached with parties either in a collective or individual capacity were negotiated fairly and equitably’.
SAA has assured its customers that business continues unhindered and operational schedules are unaffected by this protest.
Shortly after the relaunching of flights on 23 September 2021, flights to Kinshasa and Lusaka were cancelled, and the launch of daily flights to Maputo has been delayed.
The airline’s Refunds Department has been closed down.
Allegedly, employees who have taken voluntary severance packages are being employed again, when current SAA employees can fill those positions.
There is also no deal yet between the SAA’s new equity partner Takatso Consortium and the Department of Public Enterprises.
The Takatso Consortium is set to pump billions into the struggling airline. Without a deal, Takatso is not currently involved in any operations.