November 21, 2019//-Unions are escalating a crippling strike at South African Airways (SAA) after talks broke down, leaving the state-run carrier at risk of liquidation without a government guarantee to secure bank funding, a board member said.
The strike at the cash-strapped airline is entering its sixth day, compounding a dire financial situation. Initially the airline said the action cost 50 million rand ($3.4 million) a day, though that figure has come down as some cancelled flights resumed.
Striking unions and SAA held talks on Tuesday that continued well into the night, but ended without agreement and with the unions working to follow through on a threat to shut down South Africa’s entire aviation sector via a secondary strike.
A spokeswoman for the National Union of Metalworkers South Africa, which called the strike over jobs and wages alongside the South African Cabin Crew Association, said there would be “no surrender”.
Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said a secondary strike notice and strike certificate had been issued for aviation catering firm Air Chefs and airline Comair, respectively. Unions have 48 hours to issue a strike notice following a certificate.
