Zuko Komisa
- A historic 12-day pilot strike and lock-out at FlySafair has concluded with a settlement brokered by the CCMA.
- The agreement introduces fixed rules for pilot rosters and secures minimum time off, but Solidarity notes it only provides basic protections.
- Both parties accepted the deal, which includes a four-year salary increase and a one-off payment to pilots to mitigate lost wages during the dispute.
A 12-day pilot strike and lock-out at FlySafair, the longest in South African history, has ended following a settlement brokered by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
The agreement, accepted by both parties, has been described as a “middle ground” with “no winners.”
According to Helgard Cronjé, Deputy General Secretary of the trade union Solidarity, the new shift roster system will now be governed by fixed rules, eliminating the “soft rules” that management could previously adjust at will.
The settlement, however, does not guarantee a full weekend off per month. Instead, pilots will receive at least one 60-hour weekend off within a six-week cycle, amounting to a minimum of nine weekends per year.
They will also be granted at least ten days off a month and can exchange shifts with colleagues. Those who work on their days off will be able to reclaim them the following month.
Cronjé expressed concern that the agreement “only protects the most basic rights of the pilots,” and noted it was “tragic and unacceptable” that industrial action was necessary to secure basic protections. He also stated that the strike could have been avoided had FlySafair’s management been more willing to concede on the roster issues back in February.
Under the new deal, pilots will receive salary increases of 6%, 6.5%, 6.8%, and 6.9% over the next four years. To offset the “no work, no pay” rule during the strike, pilots will receive a one-off ex gratia payment of 15% of their monthly salary and can cash in five days of leave.
Cronjé appealed to FlySafair to address its labour relations, warning that a failure to do so could lead to a significant outflow of pilots, harming both the company and the country’s aviation sector.
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