Longest pilot strike in South African history comes to an end
The longest pilot strike in South African history has ended after 12 days of industrial action at FlySafair.
According to trade union Solidarity, the breakthrough came after a proposed settlement facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which both the airline and the pilots accepted.
Helgard Cronjé, Deputy General Secretary of Solidarity, described the agreement as the closest middle ground that could be reached. “This brings an end to the longest pilot strike and lockout in South African history,” he said.
He explained that a key outcome of the deal is a more structured and transparent shift roster system.
Previously governed by flexible “soft rules,” the new system will now follow fixed guidelines, limiting management’s ability to make arbitrary changes.
One of the central issues in the dispute was time off for pilots. 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.
“While the agreement is an important step, there are still some concerns that it only protects the most basic rights of the pilots,” Cronjé said.
“It is unacceptable that an employee has to strike for 12 days to obtain written confirmation from an employer for basic protective measures.”
He added that the conflict resulted in losses for all parties and also caused severe disruption for passengers and the public.
On remuneration, 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.
Cronjé also criticised the approach to labour relations throughout the conflict, and said that the pilots and Solidarity were forced to use media and open letters to communicate with management.
He credited the CCMA’s intervention for helping steer the parties to a resolution and thanked facilitators Duduzile Madubanya and Mahmood Fadal for their persistence and long hours.
FlySafair responds
FlySafair said that it was pleased that the strike action by a portion of its pilot workforce has officially come to an end.
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.
The airline anticipates a stabilisation of airfares in the coming weeks as more seats become available.
“We are pleased to have reached a constructive resolution that allows us to move forward together,” says Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at 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.”
Loading ...