Aviation logistics company Equity Aviation expressed surprise that workers were ready to strike.
”I don’t know where this is coming from,” said spokesperson Herman Fleischmann following an announcement by the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) on Friday.
Aviation workers fed up at their pay being docked across the board for the offences of individuals are threatening a strike that, according to their union, would disrupt major carriers.
Satawu said the workers had given it a mandate to escalate action, which has so far seen failed talks between it and Equity Aviation, into a strike.
Fleischmann said: ”We are in discussions as we speak. Things have been going well. I don’t know where this comes from”.
He said the docking involved a performance-related penalty that had been in place for four years and was part of the wage agreement.
”As a company we have a similar scenario with airlines and our clients.
”It’s an industry norm,” he said.
Satawu spokesperson Ronnie Mamba said that airlines such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and South African Airways would be affected by a strike.
Wage demands were also a factor, said Mamba.
”Workers are demanding a 7% [increase] but management has offered 4,9%.
He added that central to workers’ complaints was managers having the right to deduct money from all workers whenever one worker was deemed to have breached a disciplinary code of the company.
”Offences — such as causing the delay of flights, causing damage to an aircraft or any property owned by the company or theft and baggage pilferage — all carry the ultimate penalty of expulsion, plus the mandatory 5% deduction of money from all other staff members.” — Sapa