This is a developing story and will be updated during the course of the day.
FlySafair pilots began their strike today (July 21) after the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) issued a strike certificate to the pilots' union.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, FlySafair CMO Kirby Gordon confirmed that pilots would stage a stay-away. Initially, the airline received the notice from the union of a planned one-day strike, however this was later extended to a two-week strike.
During the interview, Gordon said the airline had already made preparations and anticipated no operational disruptions. However, last night, the airline issued a statement saying that "a quantity of flights have had to be cancelled today". It added: "These flights were assigned to pilots who had confirmed their availability to fly, but who late last night, reported that they would not fly."
Solidarity, the union representing around two-thirds of FlySafair pilots, has accused the airline of “declaring war on their pilots” by locking them out for seven days. “The pilots initially gave notice for a one-day strike to force FlySafair to talk. Now, FlySafair has escalated it and is locking out the pilots for a week,” Solidarity said in a statement.
Salary negotiations between the airline and its pilots reached a deadlock last week after almost 84% of Solidarity members rejected FlySafair’s proposal of a 5,7% salary increase along with some additional adjustments to compensation.
FlySafair has since released more details on its pilot compensation and working conditions. It claims that its pilots are among the best-compensated professionals in the country. "Our captains earn between R1,8 million and R2,3 million annually," said the airline, adding that they spent an average of 63 hours in the cockpit last month. "This is well within regulatory limits set by the Civil Aviation Authority, IATA and ICAO, which cap flight duty at 100 hours per month."
