Over 200 pilots at FlySafair are preparing to strike for 14 days, commencing on Monday. The trade union Solidarity has laid the blame firmly at the feet of FlySafair management, citing a deadlock in wage negotiations that has left pilots with no choice but to walk out.
The core of the dispute revolves around the union’s demand for a 10% wage increase, a request that has been flatly rejected by the airline, which countered with an offer of just 5.7%. Solidarity has expressed exasperation at the impasse, particularly after requesting only a one-day strike primarily aimed at pressuring FlySafair to return to the negotiating table. Instead, the airline pre-emptively declared a seven-day lockout, effectively denying pilots the chance to work and placing them under a “no work, no pay” policy.
Helgard Cronje, Solidarity’s deputy general-secretary, explained, “We called out the one-day strike mainly to get the company back to the negotiation table. They then basically decided to give a seven-day lockout. Now that the seven-day lockout means our members cannot go and work. It’s as if they are striking, but it’s something that is initiated by the company.” The ramifications of this decision could be substantial, as public frustration grows over potential flight cancellations and delays during this busy travel season.
In addition to the wage disputes, the union has raised concerns about FlySafair’s unilateral implementation of a new rostering system, which has replaced the fixed pattern previously agreed upon by the pilots. Previously, pilots would work six days followed by either two or three days off, providing them with a predictable schedule. The new open pattern system has left pilots uncertain about their working days, forcing them to find out their schedule only ten days before the end of the month.
“This new system means there is no predictability. A pilot only discovers their working conditions far too late, leaving them at the mercy of the company,” Cronje elaborated. “They implemented this while we were still in a dispute and consulting about the rostering system. They just went ahead and unilaterally implemented that.” This significant change not only affects pilots’ morale but also raises questions about the overall welfare of FlySafair employees moving forward.