Page 23 - World Airnews Magazine May 2021 Edition

FEATURE FEATURE

WHAT THE SAAPA WAN: AS I UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION, ON ONE Some Interesting Points
SIDE THE SAAPA WANT THE COMPANY (SAA) TO
RETRENCH THE PILOTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HAS TO SAY THIS WOULD BE THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION The SAA Pilots’ Association applied for an urgent interdict in the

FOR THEIR MEMBERS AS THEN THEY WILL BE ABLE
Johannesburg Labour court in April to stop the airline’s use of ‘scab’
TO CLAIM UIF ? ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS

THAT THEY WOULD BE ENTITLED TO? labour after reports emerged the airline had informally approached
pilots to return to duty for training or to train other pilots.
GB: The pilots have not been paid since April last year and The Labour Court judge postponed his ruling until 15 June.

the company is unlawfully withholding remuneration from

the pilots to try to ‘starve them out’, to sign a settlement SAAPA members want the current lockout declared unlawful so

agreement that is far less than they are entitled to. They that the union would immediately stop the strike.

are unlawfully withholding remuneration that accrued from SAAPA chair Grant Back has said reports that the pilots have

periods when the pilots were not locked out which they have rejected a collective settlement offer of close to R1 billion are

paid to the few non SAAPA pilots. After retrenchment, pilots misleading.

will be able to access pension savings as well as get access to “While the amount looks substantial, it includes a year of unpaid
the retrenchment package. salaries for more than 350 pilots, as well as retrenchment pay
for our pilots, some with 30 to 40 years of service, and would be
WAN: INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE SITUATION subject to taxation. The business rescue practitioners are also

GOT HEATED BECAUSE THE COMPANY (SAA) insisting that, highly irregularly, some of it be paid over three

OFFERED EMPLOYMENT TO SOME PILOTS ON years,” he said.
MARCH 29 - IN AN ATTEMPT TO ‘CHERRY PICK’ On the other hand, Business rescue practitioners (BRP) and SAA

THE BEST? IT SEEMS A CRAZY THING TO DO WHEN claimed in the labour court that there is nothing urgent about the
THE MAJORITY OF PILOTS HAVE BEEN ‘LEFT OUT matter, as the lockout was lifted on March 30 for training pilots and

IN THE COLD’ FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR. WHAT therefore the airline is entitled to source those categories of pilots.

DOES SAAPA THINK IS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND The BRP are reported to be trying to wind up the business rescue
THIS MOVE? process so that they can exit and hand matters over to Kgokolo.

GB: They are attempting to unlock a few training pilots to The issue at hand is whether severance payments to pilots who
train the few pilots that are not locked out to enable the will be retrenched will be calculated in terms of the total cost

airline to operate a few flights. of employment prior to or after business rescue. The BRPs have

WAN: IN THE MEANTIME, IS IT TRUE THAT OTHER proposed that the severance payments are calculated in terms of

SAA STAFF MEMBERS AND THOSE PILOTS THAT the old rate but that the difference between the old and the new
TOOK THE VOLUNTARY SEVERANCE PACKAGES be repaid through the receivership over a three year period.

HAVE ALL BEEN GIVEN FOUR MONTHS BACK PAY? This part of the offer is pegged at R129 million and an ‘ex-gratia

The S189 process ended in August unlawfully intimidating our pilots. GB: All staff and pilots that took the VSP were paid three payment’ relating to the cancelling of the Regulating Agreement

last year, and we were expecting the WAN: CAN WE BACK UP A BIT AND months backpay for June to August last year. The remaining is pegged at R85 million – paid over three years. The BRP have

ocked out of the airline since Decem- remaining pilots (except for 88 which CAN YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE staff were then also all paid four months backpay from stated that these two aspects of the proposal will no longer be
available once the business rescue has ended.
Lber with no pay the South African would be retained) to be retrenched. CONTEXT OF THE REGULATING December to March, excluding the pilots, who have not But they can’t say when this will be. Despite an almost 80%
Airways Pilots Association members are The company proposed, an unlawful AGREEMENT OF 2014 AND WHY been paid any backpay. reduction in SAA’s workforce and a cut in liabilities to R2.6 billion

process of selecting pilots who would be

fighting for their lives. They are holding out retained based on race, and the fact that THIS HAS BECOME SUCH A BONE OF WAN: WHAT IN SIMPLE TERMS DOES THE UNION from R38 billion, the carrier is still grounded.

for a retrenchment pay out that they are the company is not prepared to even pay CONTENTION? WANT AND WHAT IS YOUR NEXT STEP SHOULD All domestic and regional SAA-operated flights have been

entitled to in terms of a long standing reg- the BCEA minimum to the pilots to be GB: Our terms and conditions have been THE “STRIKE” NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE? suspended since March 2020, and were expected to resume on

ulatory agreement that governs the terms retrenched, has caused the negotiations negotiated over many years and are GB: We want to be retrenched fairly and lawfully the same April 30. All SAA-operated international flights are suspended

of renumeration for seniority for career to stall. We have agreed to cancel our benchmarked and comparable to what as all other staff. We are not forcing the company to comply until October 30, 2021.

advancements. Regulating Agreement, but can only agree other leading airlines have. The company with the terms of the RA. We cannot allow the company to As an ongoing story that is likely to be unresolved at the time

For the first time in 50 years, union to this on the day after the last pilot is continues to use our Regulating Agreement attempt to retrench us on the new proposed reduced salary of publication. World Airnews has made every attempt to report

members have embarked on strike retrenched as the company is attempting as the scape goat for the mis-management scales. It is unlawful and no other staff member has been on the most up to date facts. However events may over take

action. World Airnews editor Heidi Gibson to change our salaries to the new reduced and State Capture that has caused the retrenched using the new salary scales. Q some of these.

many years of losses. If we had flown for
interviewed SAAPA union chair and SAA salaries (which are 50% lower) and then free, we would still be a loss making airline.

captain Grant Back about the ongoing retrench us on those scales.
complex saga involving the airline, the This process has now dragged on for WAN: I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF
department of public enterprises and the about a year. We are now striking to be YOUR DEMANDS IS FOR THIS RA An Albatross
Business Rescue Practitioners. retrenched by 15 April and to have our TO BE TERMINATED ON THE DAY

WAN: WHAT AN INCREDIBLE Regulating Agreement cancelled the day AFTER THE LAST SAAPA MEMBER
LEAVES THE EMPLOY OF THE

after all pilots that are to be retrenched,
SITUATION FOR THE PILOTS OF leave the company and to be retrenched COMPANY? WHY DOES THE UNION
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS! I in accordance with the new company WANT THIS? IS IT TO PROTECT Seen here on a technical stop
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE proposed notice period of three months. YOUR MEMBERS UNTIL THE VERY at LMML, this L-39C Albatross

CALLED FOR A STRIKE – THE FIRST was built in 1985. In November
TIME IN 50 YEARS. CAN YOU WAN: WHAT DOES SAAPA HOPE TO LAST MINUTE? 2000 the aircraft was acquired by

BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT ARE YOU ACHIEVE BY THE STRIKE? WHAT IS GB: Yes, we cannot trust the current Worldwide Warbirds Inc. of Arizona.
STRIKING AGAINST? THE OUTCOME THAT THE PILOTS management and BRP’s to comply with In 2016 the Czech built jet moved
GB: SAA has been in business rescue since WANT? the rule of law and retrench us according to Biella Airport in Cerrione Italy.
to our current salary scales. The latest
December 2019. The business rescue plan GB: The company is attempting to unlock proposal from the company is to retrench

called for a reduction in pilot numbers from certain training pilots that they require to us on the new salary scales which are up to
around 700 down to a total of 88 pilots. help train the few pilots that are not part Photo courtesy Mario
During the S189 process, 225 pilots opted of the lock-out. Our strike is to show the 50% lower than our current scales. This is Caruana / MAviO News

for a Voluntary Settlement Package, leaving company that we want to be fairly and unlawful and the only protection we have

is to hold onto the Regulating Agreement
about 360 pilots remaining. lawfully retrenched and prevent them from until after we are retrenched.

World Airnews | May 2021 World Airnews | May 2021
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