SAA pilots strike – with peak travel season around the corner

South African Airways (SAA) is facing a strike among its pilots later this week.

After protracted wage negotiation, the state-owned entity received a notification from the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA) stating their intent to embark on a strike action commencing Thursday, 5 December 2024.

SAA said that its management is doing everything possible to avoid a strike by pilots or any disruptions to SAA operations. This is especially the case as the airline heads into peak December season.

SAAPA’s initial demand (tabled in May 2024) was for a 30% increase in pilot salaries, which was subsequently reduced to 15.7% (plus associated benefits).

SAA offered salary increases of 8.46% (backdated to 1 April 2024).

The latest inflation figures in South Africa for October came to 2.8%.

SAA said that its final wage offer, made to SAAPA on 24 September 2024, is far higher than the general salary increase in South Africa in 2024 when benchmarked against international pilot salary adjustments.

It is also in line with what the airline granted to the rest of its staff members in June 2024.

The airline said that the offer to its pilots reflects its commitment to its employees’ well-being, while also taking into account the airline’s history, current turnaround programme, and future financial sustainability.

Interim Chief Executive Officer Professor John Lamola said that while SAA recently reported a modest profit, the airline cannot be seen as financially robust.

He added that SAA can no longer expect shareholder contributions or recapitalisation from the fiscus (i.e. bailouts).

“Ironically, the pilots have chosen to go on strike exactly on the fifth anniversary of the day SAA was placed in Business Rescue in 2019,” said Lamola.

“SAA cannot return to the lucrative benefits that SAA pilots have historically enjoyed. Acceding to SAAPA’s current demand for a 15.7% wage increase will trigger SAA’s decline into bankruptcy.”

“SAA has only recently regained its operational viability after emerging from business rescue in 2021.”

“In order not to disrupt this momentum, we are committed to ongoing negotiations with SAAPA and to do everything possible to reach a fair settlement that is mutually beneficial to both the pilots and the company”.

Lamola added that the team at SAA will ensure that customers, the global travel trade, and all stakeholders will be kept fully informed of developments.

The airline is also implementing contingency measures to ensure that disruption to its services will be as minimal as possible.

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