The FlySafair strike lasted for 12 days, making it the longest pilot strike in South African history.
The strike concluded on 1 August after the airline and striking pilots accepted a proposed settlement facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA).
Helgard Cronjé, Deputy General Secretary of Solidarity, noted that this new agreement was the closest they could get to the middle ground between the two.
“This brings an end to the longest pilot strike and lockout in South African history,” he said.
A key part of the agreement is the introduction of a more structured and transparent shift roster system over the “soft rules’ approach that was previously in effect.
This will limit management’s ability to make arbitrary changes and ensure that all pilots get at least one uninterrupted 60-hour weekend break every six weeks for an annual total of at least nine weekends off.
The new terms will also allow pilots to swap shifts amongst themselves and be provided with at least ten days off per month.
Should a pilot work on any of these days off, they can reclaim the days during the following month.
Pilots will also receive salary increases of 6%, 6.5%, 6.8%, and 6.9% over the next four years, with pilots who fly more than 65 hours monthly receiving extra compensation.
These percentages will apply to travel, accommodation, and medical allowances adjustments.
The “no work, no pay” policy applied to the pilots during the strike will be offset with a once-off ex gratia payment of 15% of their monthly salary and the option to cash in five days of leave.
Cronjé noted that while the agreement is an important step, there are still concerns that it only protects the most basic rights of pilots.
“It is unacceptable that an employee has to strike for 12 days to obtain written confirmation from an employer for basic protective measures,” he said.
He also raised concerns over the approach to labour relations throughout the strike where he indicated that the pilots and Solidarity were forced to use media and open letters to contact management.
Cronjé thanked the CCMA for its guidance during the process and the facilitators Duduzile Madubanya and Mahmood Fadal for their hard work.
Flight restoration
FlySafair has said that it’s pleased the strike has ended and that it will begin restoring its flight capacity with all aircraft returning to active duty and schedules normalised.
This will also lead to a stabilisation of ticket prices over the next few weeks as more seats become available to South Africans.
“We are pleased to have reached a constructive resolution that allows us to move forward together,” says Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair.
“The return of our full schedule will help bring much-needed capacity back to the market, which is essential to restoring fare equilibrium and making travel more affordable again for South Africans.”
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