By Palesa Matlala
The 12-day FlySafair strike is over after 200 pilots accepted a new pay deal. It was the longest pilot strike in South African history.
The pilots, all members of the Solidarity trade union, returned to work after the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) helped both sides reach a compromise.
Deputy general secretary of Solidarity Helgard Cronje said it was a ”tough fight with no winners,” reported Times Live.
The pilots had asked for a 10% increase. They settled for annual increases of 6%, 6.5%, 6.8% and 6.9% for the next four years. These will also includes travel, accommodation and medical allowances.
The airline also agreed to pay pilots who exceeded the 65 flying hours per month. Pilots can now claim days if they are made to work on off-days and can now swap shifts among themselves.
Although, FlySafair cannot promise a full week off each month, pilots will get at least one 60-hour weekend every six weeks and a minimum of nine weekends off a year.
The first day of the strike caused some flight cancellations, but the airline kept most flights running using contingency plans.
Cronje said the strike was a difficult process in the history of South African aviation.
Pictured above: FlySafair airplane
Image source: Sourced
