Unions reject plans to cut more SAA jobs
Workers’ unions at the embattled South African Airways (SAA) have condemned the plan by the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) to cut jobs.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South African (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) say they are disappointed by the BRPs’ plan, in conjunction with the Department of Public Enterprises.
Numsa spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, says they have done everything in their power to persuade the Department of Public Enterprises to adopt a plan that is in the best interests of saving SAA.
"It is important to state categorically that just like we did not have any joy with the BRPs, we are experiencing the same with DPE and the level of dishonesty from the ministry and the manner in which they have conducted and concluded this entire process, leaves much to be desired. It is not an overstatement to say that both the BRPs and DPE have failed the country and workers dismally," says Hlubi-Majola.
She adds Numsa and Sacca have a plan that would build an economically viable airline and retain many jobs.
"What is shocking about the published BRP plan is that it lacks the underlying substance on which its conclusion would have been derived. Effectively we are being called to blindly trust their logic without being taken into confidence on the assumptions they made," she says.
Hlubi-Majola says it is a lie that labour agreed to the Department of Public Enterprises' plan to save only 1000 jobs out of 4 800.
"We reject with contempt the announcement that only 1000 employees will be retained in the BRP plan as it is tantamount to unleashing a job loss blood bath.
"In the plan, we proposed we were very clear that a restructured SAA will have the labour head count ramping up to 3200 within an 18 to 24-month period," says Hlubi-Majola.
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Numsa, SACAA head to court over SAA retrenchments
The two unions want the Section 189 notices issued to employees declared unlawful until they have been made privy to airline's business rescue plan. "There is an important court case linked to the unions at SAA where two of the unions, supported by several others, is in the Labour Court challenging the fact that without a business rescue plan being presented, Section 189 is being executed," Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan told MPs on Wednesday.