Workers at airports run by the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) on Tuesday asked their aviation industry colleagues to join them in an attempt to get Acsa to agree to a higher pay rise.
Speaking to reporters at Johannesburg International airport, South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) leaders said the union has asked colleagues from South African Airways and three other firms operating at the airport to support them.
”That is the first stage of solidarity,” said Evan Abrahamse, the national aviation sector coordinator for Satawu at Johannesburg International airport.
The airport has been the centre of the industrial action, with other major airports’ workers lagging behind in actually downing tools.
Thomas Mapheto, the chairperson of Satawu at the airport, said the three companies asked to join the strike are Equity, LMG and Ketentso.
Satawu members went on strike on Monday after talks between union leaders and Acsa managers reached deadlock.
The union wants a 10% salary hike, and the company has offered 7,4%.
Abrahamse told a large number of Satawu members working at the airport that the strike was a success, and this success would increase as the week progressed.
”We believe that the strike is successful, and is becoming more successful,” he said. ”We believe that, with the days passing, the impact will be greater.”
Abrahamse said 90% of Satawu members took part in the strike nationally, not 30% as Acsa claimed in the media.
As he completed that statement, one Satawu member shouted: ”That’s bullshit.”
Another screamed: ”Solomon is employed to lie.”
Acsa spokesperson Solomon Makgale was quoted saying between 25% and 30% of Satawu members took part in the strike.
Some of the people who attended the briefing carried posters reading: ”If you want to pay peanuts, hire monkeys”, ”Acsa you disappoint us in front of Fifa”, ”7,5 percent — what a joke” and ”Fly at your own risk”.
A Fifa technical team will arrive in Johannesburg on Thursday to sample the country and compile a report as South Africa bids to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup. — Sapa