Comair could be grounded by strike

A STRIKE threatens to ground Comair’s fleet after unions and the airline failed to reach agreement on wage increases.

Although Comair said yesterday it had contingency plans to keep its aircraft in the air when cabin crew downed tools, a union leader disagreed.

“You must remember cabin crew are safety officers. Not anyone can be a safety officer. You have to have a certificate,” Solidarity’s Derek Mans said.

Solidarity and the United Association of SA were granted a certificate of no resolution by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration earlier this week.

The unions and Comair have been in wage talks since September.

Mans could not say when the mass action would go ahead, as the unions were getting feedback from members.

According to the law, the unions must give the airline 48 hours’ warning before going on strike.

Comair chief executive Erik Venter said he was disappointed that the parties had not been able to reach an amicable solution.

“We benchmark our remuneration on a regular basis to ensure the manner in which we remunerate our employees does reflect the dynamics of the market,” he said.

A three-year wage deal came to an end last year. It included unions agreeing not to receive an increase in the first year because of the airline’s poor finances.

However, now that Comair’s financial position has improved, unions want a 12.4 percent wage increase.

“We think this fair given the company’s improved finances… and it will help us make up for what we lost in the first year,” Mans said.

Comair has two offers on the table. One is a 7.5 percent salary increase, and the other is an 8 percent pay rise based on conditions.

This includes that cabin crew can only start claiming overtime at 125 hours instead of the current 121 hours.

Mans said if employees agreed to the second option, they would essentially be paying for their own increases as Comair would be saving 40 percent on its overtime bill.

Venter said he believed that the airline’s offer was favourable and market-related.

He said Comair intended to continue its daily operations, and do all it could to minimise the impact on its customers.

Mama Taxi

TIDES High today . . . .6.01am, 6.19pm Tomorrow . . . . .6.49am, 7.09pm Low today . . .12.18am, midnight Tomorrow . . . .12.27am, 1.10pm Spring tides . . . . . . . . . . . .Feb 4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Feb 19 Neap Tides . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan 27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Feb 12 SUN/MOON Sunrise today . . . . . . . . . . .6am Sunset today . . . . . . . . .7.57pm Moon rises today . . . . .10.19am Moon sets tomorrow . .10.38pm

PICTURE: JASON BOUD ON THE BLOCK: Local yearling Moonrise Sensation, was sold for R4 million at the 2015 Cape Premier Yearling Sale. The two-day event ended yesterday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.