South African Airways (SAA) cabin crew members who downed tools on Wednesday morning and gathered to protest outside the Airways Park in Kempton Park said they would continue their strike until their demands for increased meal allowances were met.
“We will continue the strike until we resolve the issue,” said South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) Treasurer, Gift Bilankulu. SACCA has about 1 300 cabin crew as its members, which is about 80 percent of the total number.
Around 200 flight attendants gathered outside the SAA head office, where they are demanding an upward review of what they said were low international meal allowances.
Bilankulu said international meal allowances had not been increased for the past six years. Presently cabin crew get a meal allowance of $130 (R1,696) per trip.
“We have put down $170 (R2,217) to negotiate with management but we are flexible,” said Bilankulu.
“This is money we get to eat when we get to the destination and the living conditions are not the same as here.”
Bilankulu said the exchange rate compounded the problem because the rand had over the years become less valuable overseas.
“What amazes us is that there’s some departments where meal allowances get increased and they don’t have to negotiate and they get higher salaries than us.”
In response to the strike SAA management said it would use bigger planes to accommodate cancelled flights and also place passengers on partner airlines. SAA also informed SACCA that it was heading to court to seek an interdict to stop the strike.
However, Bilankulu said: “It’s not because we are a responsible union we can’t take people out if the strike is illegal, we got a certificate of non resolution from the CCMA which we are now acting on”.
SAA said four local flights had been cancelled Wednesday morning owing to the cabin crew strike. International flights were “inbound” and had not yet been affected.