ANA reports that two unions at SA Airways (SAA) said on Friday that the airline had requested one week to deal with their demands of reinstating Vuyani Jarana as group chief executive and completely overhauling the board.  

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the SA Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) met the SAA board on Thursday over workers’ grievances.  In a statement, the unions said their key demand was that Jarana, who had produced a turnaround strategy that won the support of the government, the board, and the unions, must be reinstated immediately.  SAA board chairperson JB Magwaza allegedly told the unions that there was no funding for the turnaround strategy and no funding capital for the airline.  At the meeting, the unions apparently highlighted several key issues.  They indicated afterwards:  “The board has requested an extra seven days in order to deal with the demands we have tabled in our memorandums, and we have agreed to grant them extra time (a 48 hour deadline had initially been set).  Whilst they deliberate, we will continue to mobilise on the ground in preparation for the possibility of the mother of all strikes in aviation if this board continues to ignore the demand to take the necessary steps to save SAA.”  

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen

Read the two unions’ press statement at Polity

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page