BL Premium reports that the wage strike by pilots affiliated to trade union Solidarity at carrier FlySafair ended on Friday after parties signed a four-year wage agreement for above-inflation wage increases.

The strike began on 21 July when the union members downed tools over their demand for wage increases. Solidarity’s Helgard Cronje said the wage agreement would see pilots receiving salary increases of 6%, 6.5%, 6.8% and 6.9% respectively, over the next four years. “These percentages will also apply to annual adjustments of travel and accommodation allowances, as well as the medical allowance. Pilots will also receive additional compensation for any hours exceeding 65 flying hours per month,” Cronje said. He added: “To soften the impact of the ‘no work, no pay’ rule during the strike and lock-out, pilots will receive a once-off ex gratia payment amounting to 15% of their monthly salary and will be allowed to cash in five days of leave.”

Regarding the new shift roster system, which had been a major bone of contention, Cronje explained that it would now be governed by fixed rules and no longer by so-called ‘soft rules’ that management could arbitrarily adjust. “Although FlySafair still maintains that it cannot guarantee pilots one full weekend off per month, negotiations have led to an agreement that pilots will receive at least one 60-hour weekend off during each six-week cycle, with a minimum of nine weekends off per year,” Cronje advised.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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