CCMA steps in as FlySafair pilots strike over pay dispute

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has been roped in to mediate the dispute between FlySafair and trade union Solidarity, in terms of section 150 of the Labour Relations Act.

This comes as around 200 pilots represented by Solidarity embarked on a 14-day strike at FlySafair on Monday after wage negotiations deadlocked.

The pilots are demanding a 10.5% baseline increase alongside adjustments to flight pay and bonuses for the next financial year, and then 4.5% and 4% respectively for the two years thereafter. They rejected the proposed 5.7% salary increase by FlySafair.

Solidarity deputy general secretary of public sector, Helgard Cronjé, on Monday expressed cautious optimism following FlySafair's turnabout to engage in mediation at the insistence of the CCMA.

Cronjé said the negotiations could have begun earlier, potentially averting a strike that threatens to disrupt air travel for thousands of passengers as FlySafair had to cancel at least 26 flights on Monday.

Cronjé articulated doubts regarding FlySafair's urgency in addressing the ongoing crisis, adding that their request to negotiate was not being taken seriously.

“FlySafair underestimated how disruptive the lock-out will be. It is costing them too much and the passengers are paying the price,” Cronjé said.

“Still, FlySafair has indicated that they are willing to start the negotiation process only by Wednesday. As a result, thousands more passengers will be affected before FlySafair comes to the table.”

Cronjé said Solidarity was hoping that FlySafair’s agreement to the mediation process will mark the beginning of real solutions that address the concerns of their pilots with genuine seriousness and that could pave the way for improved working relations in the future.

The trade union last week accused FlySafair of failing to agree to pilots’ demands while most senior management members, CEO Elmar Conradie and CFO Pieter Richards, had allegedly earned more than R90 million by selling shares as the company is in a very favourable financial position.

Meanwhile, FlySafair had earlier defended the offer it made to its pilots, saying that it was already 1.5% above the rate of consumer inflation when factoring in additional benefits, and was a competitive rate in the market.

FlySafair said its pilots, particularly its captains, were among the highest-paid professionals in the country, earning between R1.8m and R2.3m a year, landing them in the top 1% of earners nationally.

The airline said while such raises as per Solidarity demands may appear justifiable to some, the total economic impact proposed would exceed a staggering 20% increase in overall compensation, and this was unsustainable.

In terms of workload, FlySafair said captains spent an average of 63 hours last month in the cockpit flying passengers, well within regulatory limits set by the Civil Aviation Authority, IATA, and ICAO, which cap flight duty at 100 hours per month.

Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair, said the management team's offer was crafted with the intention of balancing fair compensation with the financial realities faced by the airline and its 1 700 employees.

“A second area of contention is the pilot roster system implemented by FlySafair at the start of the year. This system—standard across the global airline industry and in force in every other airline in South Africa—allows pilots to receive their full monthly rosters by the 20th of the preceding month, enabling personal planning and scheduling. It also includes a preferential leave bidding process and a structured marketplace to facilitate duty swaps within regulated flight and duty limits,” Gordon said.

“The system was designed to improve operational efficiency and provide pilots with maximum flexibility. Attempts by Solidarity to alter or limit this system would strip away its key benefits, undermining FlySafair’s ability to compete with other airlines and maintain cost-effective operations.”

Gordon said their goal remained to reach a reasonable resolution quickly and committed the airline to engaging with our pilots in good faith and finding a way forward that balances fairness for our people with our responsibility to customers and the sustainability of the business.

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