‘Crew must get same as pilots’
Workers say food, rest not enough
South African Airways said it had suffered “significant” financial losses after the national carrier had to cancel 50 flights on Wednesday.
This came after members of the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) embarked on a protest outside the airline’s offices at OR Tambo International Airport over their international meal allowances‚ working conditions and the minimum rest periods according to a member of Sacca.
Sacca secretary general Mpho Moikangoa said the union was trying to “rectify” some of the issues their members had experienced over the past six years‚ but had been unsuccessful as SAA management were unwilling to negotiate with the union.
“Management is playing dirty tricks now‚” he said. He said they wanted to be treated with “dignity” and felt they deserved the same value of meal allowances as the pilots.
On Wednesday‚ SAA approached the Labour Court and obtained an interim interdict which meant Sacca members‚ who make up roughly 85% of the airline’s cabin crew‚ had to return to work.
Moikangoa‚ however‚ said they were planning on challenging the interdict.
“Our legal team are looking at the merits of the interdict. We are going back to court on Friday‚” he said.
Moikangoa said when their members returned to work yesterday‚ they were “victimised”.
“They got a court order saying we must return to work‚ but everyone who returned have been placed on stand-by.”
SAA’s spokesman Tlali Tlali said: “We are hoping that we will be able to come to an amicable agreement with the union, even before the court date in June.”