Uncertainty as Kulula strike looms
We will continue with the strike if our demands are not met
Passengers flying airline Kulula.com to and from East London Airport can expect major disruptions over the Easter weekend as labour union Numsa confirmed its wage strike would begin at 1pm on Thursday.
Late on Wednesday night, the union also confirmed that its members would be picketing at airports.
It is feared that the the strike, confirmed by Numsa on Wednesday afternoon, will have dire consequences for tourism and business travel, particularly as it comes at the Easter weekend.
But Comair, which operates Kulula.com and British Airways in South Africa, has filed an urgent court interdict in the labour court against the strike action. It has also assured passengers that its airlines would remain operational.
Contingency plans had been put in place.
Kulula flights to East London from Johannesburg arrive at 8.15am and 5.25pm on Thursday. They depart East London for O R Tambo International Airport at 9am and 6.05pm.
The same times apply on Good Friday.
Numsa served Comair with notice of intention to strike over salary discrepancies on Tuesday.
Numsa-aligned Comair employees work at airline check-in counters, as baggage handlers and in refueling aircraft. This was confirmed by Numsa national co-ordinator Viwe James.
James told the Dispatch: “We have been negotiating for the past eight months and they [Comair] continues not to come with anything tangible to address that. We have opposed the court interdict through our lawyers and the matter will only be heard tomorrow [Thursday] at 10am. Until there is an interdict the strike continues.”
He said Numsa members would be at work for the scheduled morning flights nationally, but come 1pm, they would down tools.
“We will continue with the strike if our demands are not met.”
He confirmed members would also stage pickets at airports.
The Dispatch asked Airports Company of South Africa spokesperson Colin Naidoo whether there were any plans to bolster airport security as a result of the strike, but he declined to comment.
Numsa had proposed that Comair management agree on time frames for correcting wage disparities, and that it looked at ways of reducing the wage gap.
Their proposals include that in cases where the wage gap was less than R1,000, Comair
should bridge the gap immediately. Where the wage gap was between R1,000 and R2,000, Comair should bridge that gap within a 12-month period. And where the wage gap was more than R5, 000, the company would have three years to reduce the gap.
The situation has now reached a deadlock.
Comair said about a third of its 2,200 airport ground staff were Numsa members, although the dispute “centres on 21 personnel” whose salaries are higher than their colleagues’ for historical reasons.
Comair executive director for the airline division, Wrenelle Stander, said they had put measures in place to ensure flights went ahead as scheduled.
“Comair has a comprehensive contingency plan in place and intends to continue its daily operations. We will do everything possible to keep customers informed and minimise the impact of any strike action.
“We encourage customers to check-in online or at the selfservice kiosks and to drop their bags at the bag-drop counter. Employees from across the business have volunteered to help limit possible disruption.”
Not everyone is as confident, however, and there is deep concern over what impact the strike will have on the Eastern Cape economy.
Les Holbrook, executive director Border-Kei Chamber of Business, said the strike would have a negative impact on businesses, as 60% of travellers from the city were business people.
“It is very difficult for a company to operate without their experienced and normal operational staff. They are one of the biggest carriers of passengers in South Africa. We also do not want a situation where tourists find that they can’t travel around SA.”