By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
FlySafair and pilots affiliated to Trade Union Solidarity reached an agreement through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over wage and rooster dispute after crippling 12 days strike.
The new agreement stipulates that pilots will get at least one uninterrupted 60-hour weekend break every six weeks, amounting to a minimum of nine weekends off annually.
Pilots will also have the ability to swap shifts among themselves and will be given at least ten days off per month.If they are required to work during scheduled off days, they will be able to reclaim those days the following month.
Pilots will see salary increases of 6%, 6.5%, 6.8%, and 6.9% over the next four years.
These same percentages will apply to travel, accommodation, and medical allowances adjustments. Additionally, pilots flying more than 65 hours a month will receive extra compensation.
To offset the effects of the “no work, no pay” rule applied during the strike, pilots will receive a once-off ex gratia payment of 15% of their monthly salary and the option to cash in five days of leave.
The Deputy General Secretary of Solidarity, Helgard Cronjé, says this is the closest the parties could come to a middle ground, and there are no winners in this process.
Cronjé emphasises that pilots and Solidarity were forced to communicate with management through the media and open letters, while at the same time correcting misinformation from within the company. Ultimately, the CCMA intervened to help guide the parties to a solution through a very difficult conciliation process.
FlySafair says it will begin restoring full capacity to its flights. The airline anticipates a stabilisation of airfares in the coming weeks as more seats become available across the network and aircraft return to operation.
“We are pleased to have reached a constructive resolution that allows us to move forward together, “says Kirby Gordon, CMO of FlySafair. “The return of our full schedule will help bring much-needed capacity back to the market, which is essential to restoring fare equilibrium and making travel more affordable again for South Africans.”
The development means that FlySafair will begin restoring full capacity to the market. All aircrafts will return to active duty and schedules are being normalised.