Pilots ballot to strike at SAA

JOHANNESBURG – South African Airways (SAA) pilots have approved a motion of no confidence in management and began balloting for a strike, their association said yesterday, raising the spectre of a second walkout at the troubled carrier.

The state-owned carrier is still recovering from a crippling six-day strike by cabin crew and ground staff that ended last week and which economists estimate cost SAA about 25 million rand per day. “At the moment we are busy balloting our members to see whether they want to take industrial action.We have applied to the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) for a strike certificate,” John Harty, the chief negotiator of the SAA Pilots’ Association, which represents more than 800 pilots.It would be the first strike by pilots at Africa’s largest airline.”But obviously we want to avoid industrial action and we are hoping that SAA management will come back to the table and we can negotiate in good faith.”Harty said pilots and SAA were in disagreement over certain management issues, but declined to say what they were.Media reports have suggested that these could be linked to alleged attempts by SAA management to unilaterally change the pilots’ contracts.”They are normal, ordinary issues that we should be able to settle.It’s got nothing to do with salaries.We settled earlier this year on a 3,5 per cent increase,” said Harty.The association ran an advertisement in local papers on Tuesday announcing that a special general meeting on July 27 had unanimously agreed to pass a motion of no confidence in the airline’s chief executive officer, Khaya Ngqula, and his team.”We the pilots of SAA call upon the government and shareholder of SAA to take immediate steps to appoint a competent leadership team with relevant airline experience – a leadership team that has the interests of the airline, its employees and the public at heart,” the association said.SAA spokesman Onkgopotse Tabane said the airline would not directly respond to the statement from the company’s pilots, who own 5 per cent in the otherwise state-owned airline.The airline’s management team was changed last year following a record 8,7 billion rand pretax loss in the 2003/04 financial year, with Ngqula taking the reins.The loss was triggered by a nearly 6 billion rand hedge book loss.Ngqula has been criticised for his management style, particularly the airline’s handling of the strike by cabin and ground staff, which critics said could have been avoided.- Nampa-Reuters”At the moment we are busy balloting our members to see whether they want to take industrial action.We have applied to the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) for a strike certificate,” John Harty, the chief negotiator of the SAA Pilots’ Association, which represents more than 800 pilots.It would be the first strike by pilots at Africa’s largest airline.”But obviously we want to avoid industrial action and we are hoping that SAA management will come back to the table and we can negotiate in good faith.”Harty said pilots and SAA were in disagreement over certain management issues, but declined to say what they were.Media reports have suggested that these could be linked to alleged attempts by SAA management to unilaterally change the pilots’ contracts.”They are normal, ordinary issues that we should be able to settle.It’s got nothing to do with salaries.We settled earlier this year on a 3,5 per cent increase,” said Harty.The association ran an advertisement in local papers on Tuesday announcing that a special general meeting on July 27 had unanimously agreed to pass a motion of no confidence in the airline’s chief executive officer, Khaya Ngqula, and his team.”We the pilots of SAA call upon the government and shareholder of SAA to take immediate steps to appoint a competent leadership team with relevant airline experience – a leadership team that has the interests of the airline, its employees and the public at heart,” the association said.SAA spokesman Onkgopotse Tabane said the airline would not directly respond to the statement from the company’s pilots, who own 5 per cent in the otherwise state-owned airline.The airline’s management team was changed last year following a record 8,7 billion rand pretax loss in the 2003/04 financial year, with Ngqula taking the reins.The loss was triggered by a nearly 6 billion rand hedge book loss.Ngqula has been criticised for his management style, particularly the airline’s handling of the strike by cabin and ground staff, which critics said could have been avoided.- Nampa-Reuters