BDFM News Online
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
THE South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) is planning to hold mass demonstrations province by province and has not ruled out a strike in protest against South African Airways's (SAA's) plans to retrench about 1000 employees.
If the demonstrations and strike go ahead, SAA could be hit hard financially and the disruption would affect tourism and business.
A strike at the national carrier in 2005, which lasted five days, saw it losing R150m.
SAA wants to retrench employees on the grounds that its operating costs are rising at a rapid rate.
Satawu spokesman Ronnie Mamba said yesterday that the union's national office bearers were developing a programme of action to protest against the retrenchments. These would include provincial marches.
Satawu said it had also asked the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party to support the programme.
Mamba said Satawu would meet management and table a turnaround strategy for the company.
"We believe SAA should be part of government's recapitalisation programme.
"We will be coming up with a clear programme of action where all provincial structures, including other sectors of the union, will partake as one way of putting pressure on SAA."
SAA spokeswoman Jacqui O'Sullivan said the carrier was complying with the law in respect of the job cuts. With Bloomberg