South African Airways (SA) has announced that a strike by South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) members at South African Airways Technical (SAAT), the maintenance subsidiary of the national carrier, has come to an end.
The airline said an agreement with SATAWU was reached on September 9 with an agreement signed on the terms of returning to work set to come into effect from September 10, 2013. The exact details of the package agreed to were not divulged though a deal with the Aviation Union of Southern Africa (AUSA) signed last week was for a period of one year and entails a rise of 6.5% on total cost to the company; a 0.5% once-off payment and a further 1% increase for technicians flowing from the previous year’s wage agreement.
The company would like to thank the law enforcement agencies and all stakeholders for cooperation and understanding they demonstrated during this challenging period. The strike had been marred by allegations of harassment, with SAAT at one point having called off negotiations following what it called "striking SATAWU members’ disregard of the picketing rules and intensified unruly behaviour."
The SAA Group also thanked staff members who showed their commitment to the company and made what it termed "immeasurable sacrifices" in ensuring the integrity of the airline’s contingency plans was not compromised.
