South African Airways Strike Officially Suspended, Pilots and Airline Agree to 9.47% Salary Increase

• South African Airways (SAA) flights will resume as the two-day strike has officially been suspended
• Pilots went on strike on Thursday, 5 December, demanding a 15.7 per cent salary increase from SAA
• The strike affected both domestic and international operations and forced SAA to cancel 60% of its flights

The South African Airways (SAA) pilot strike is finally over, and flights will take to the air again.

SAA confirmed that an agreement had been reached at 2 a.m. on 7 December, ending the strike.

Pilots went on strike on 5 December after a salary increase dispute.

SAA agrees deal with pilots

After successful negotiations, SAA announced they had reached a resolution with the South African Airways Pilots Association (SAAPA).

Pilots demanded a 15.7 per cent salary increase, while SAA offered only an 8 per cent hike.

SAA management then offered an additional 1% salary increase, bringing the total to 9.47%.

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Pilots accepted the offer, with Interim Chief Executive Officer Professor John Lamola stating that other factors were also agreed to in the deal.

"As part of the agreement, engagements on an enterprise improvement program will continue over the next eight weeks.

“We are committed to implementing work-life concessions that should enhance the productivity of our world-acclaimed pilots," he said.

Pilots to return to work

The national airline confirmed that it expects to return to a 100% flight schedule by Sunday, 8 December, as more than 100 pilots return to work. The strike forced the airline to cancel 60% of its flights, leaving many passengers stranded.

Lead at SAA Group Corporate Affairs, Vimla Maistry, confirmed that the strike affected domestic and international flights.

While the news has come as a relief to many, passengers remain stranded at airports as they wait for SAA to resume normal operations. Customers are also advised to visit the SAA website at www.flysaa.com for updates on the SAA flight schedule.

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SAA reports net profits

In a related article, SAA reported a net profit since being back in operation after a 12-year absence.

SAA was forced to close down amid allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.

Briefly News reported that South Africans had mixed feelings, as some celebrated the return.

Source: Briefly News