BL Premium reports that pilots who are members of trade union Solidarity will continue their strike at FlySafair after rejecting the latest offer from the airline at the weekend.
Details of the offer tabled by FlySafair on Saturday remain confidential, but Solidarity said disagreements over the company’s three-year pay offer and shift rostering system remained unresolved. In February FlySafair replaced its fixed scheduling system, which provided pilots with a predictable roster over an extended period, with one that generated a new schedule monthly. “The salary increase is important, but the fatigue-related and quality of life issues are the most important matters,” said Solidarity general secretary Gideon Du Plessis. Pilots want a guarantee of one weekend off per month, and greater certainty about upcoming shifts so they can plan their personal lives. A total 220 of the 300 pilots employed by FlySafair are members of Solidarity, while the rest are not unionised. By 5pm on Sunday, 90% of the pilots who belong to Solidarity had voted on the company’s latest offer, and 90% of them had rejected it and had mandated the union to continue the strike, said Du Plessis. He accused the airline of trying to intimidate both striking and nonstriking pilots, and of misleading the public about pilot salary scales and working hours. FlySafair said it would continue to operate a reduced flight schedule this week. About a third of FlySafair’s pilots are reportedly on strike, and the airline is carrying about 30% fewer passengers than usual.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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