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Two weeks ago, the SAA issued a formal lockdown notice warning that nearly 400 pilots would not be able to access their workplace until they agreed to new terms and conditions of employment.
FILE: SAA plane at OR Tambo International Airport. Image: 123rf.
JOHANNESBURG – The Labor Court on Tuesday dismissed the request of the South African Airways Pilots Association (Saapa) to intercept an airline lockout and declare it illegal.
Two weeks ago, the SAA issued a formal lockdown notice warning that nearly 400 pilots would not be able to access their workplace until they agreed to new terms and conditions of employment as part of efforts to rescue the airline.
SAA went into a corporate bailout more than a year ago, and a bailout plan was adopted in July that involved massive cuts.
ALSO READ: DPE backs SAA’s decision to block pilots
It also included changes to the terms and conditions of employment for those who still have jobs, which Saapa opposes.
Business rescue practitioner Siviwe Dongwana said they were pleased that the courts sided with them, finding that those tasked with saving the cash-strapped airline had complied with the Labor Relations Act in terms of implementing the lockout. .
Labor Court Judge J van Niekerk said in his ruling that the SAA lockout did not constitute a suspension of the pilot’s employment contracts.
Van Niekerk stated that a business rescue professional could engage in collective bargaining and initiate any legitimate economic pressure to push for proposed changes to the terms of employment.
Dongwana claimed that Saapa was refusing to commit to its 1997 regulatory agreement, while other employees were making an effort to help create a new sustainable airline.
Saapa was not yet available for comment.
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