SAA flights cancelled due to strike
South African Airways has confirmed the cancellation of at least four flights, operating between Cape Town and Johannesburg, as a result of a strike by cabin crew members.
But SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali has given the assurance that contingency measures have been put in place to deal with the backlog.
"For now four domestic flights have been cancelled, while two others have been delayed, but we arranged a wide body aircraft to accommodate our passengers," Tlali says.
He adds that they will continue with negotiations to try and resolve the strike.
Members of the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) went on strike on Wednesday morning claiming that their travel allowances haven't been increased for the past six years - something Tlali did not want to comment on.
"Our focus now, is to try and deal with the issue at hand and not dwell on the past," Tlali says.
SACCA's Chief Negotiator Feroze Kader says they will not return to work until their demands have been met.
He says they have been in negotiations with the airline for years.
"We have been negotiating for six years. We've been to the CCMA, we've been through arbitration - all the procedures were followed that brought us where we are today," Kader says.
Frustrated #SAA passengers are trying to make alternative arrangements to fly. pic.twitter.com/iJfGnFxLMO
— ECR_Newswatch (@ECR_Newswatch) April 26, 2017
The union has accused the airline of wasting money on international consultancy firms.
"They paid international consultants $4,5 million - more or less R60 million - to help them manage the company even though they have around 450 managers who are not managing this company on a daily basis," he says.
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