FlySafair said it continues to operate a “stable but reduced” flight schedule as the new week begins, with more pilots returning to duty each day.
This comes in spite of trade union Solidarity having rejected the airline’s latest offer to end the pilot strike, which is entering its second week following FlySafair’s pilot lockout last week.
Details of the next negotiation meeting, involving the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), have yet to be released. At the time of writing, Solidarity had not responded to requests for commentary on the latest developments.
The primary point of disagreement centres on the pilots’ request for fixed scheduling rules, which they argue is essential for achieving work-life balance.
However, FlySafair argues that such a system would substantially limit the airline’s ability to roster pilots efficiently.
The carrier said that as an alternative, it had proposed the formation of an independently chaired joint roster committee, featuring both pilot and company representatives. This body, it said, would have the power to test and refine proposed scheduling rules in a live environment before implementation.
“We had hoped that our proposal which was designed to give pilots a meaningful say in shaping their roster parameters would be well received,” said Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair. “We’re disappointed that Solidarity has chosen not to pursue this collaborative approach.”
In a statement issued over the weekend, Solidarity said the airline’s final salary offer for the next three years was “largely acceptable”, but it believed the current “unpredictable” scheduling system caused significant stress, exhaustion, and disruption to pilots’ personal lives.
The union had called for a roster and scheduling committee with “real authority”; however, it’s unclear why FlySafair’s proposed body was rejected during the latest round of negotiations.
The union said its pilots often worked long hours, sometimes starting at 11am and only finishing after midnight.
“In this context, adequate rest is not just desirable but essential. The current scheduling system, which functions algorithmically and without any discernible pattern, makes planning and family life virtually impossible. This was not the case under the previous roster system,” the union said.
FlySafair said its system, which is standard across the global airline industry, allowed pilots to receive their full monthly rosters by the 20th of the preceding month, enabling personal planning and scheduling. It said the system also included a structured marketplace to facilitate duty swaps.
Business
