South Africa’s airlines and airports are facing the threat of a crippling strike over a wage dispute between Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) and South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), that could ground all flights at all airports.
ATNS workers, represented by Satawu, are demanding a 6,5% salary increase across the board. However, ATNS has only offered 4,5%.
Mphilo Dlamini, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications at ATNS, told Travel News that there was no strike or a threat of a strike at ATNS.
“The company is currently going through substantive wage negotiations with Satawu, which represents a section of our unionised employees. We would also like to reiterate the fact that, by law, ATNS employees are not allowed to strike because we are an essential services company and, as a result, there is no threat to air safety in SA aviation,” said Dlamini.
Satawu has referred the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, and Amanda Tshemese, National Head of Communications at Satawu, told Travel News that the matter was being discussed on Thursday, August 22.
However, Tshemese said it was not true that ATNS workers were not allowed to strike.
“They are allowed to strike as long as all the necessary procedures are followed legally. Workers will not back down and we want to highlight that if it means we go on strike, so be it.
“There’s money but they are greedy and refusing to pay the real workers who are making billions of rands for this company. We hope that ATNS Management will come to their senses,” said Tshemese.
Kirby Gordon, CMO at FlySafair, said the airline was keeping a close eye on the negotiations.
“We are busy figuring out what contingency plans we can put in place depending on the wage dispute outcome,” Gordon told Travel News.
