FlySafair pilot strike drags on
The stand-off between FlySafair and its pilots has intensified after more than 90% of unionised pilots rejected the airline's final wage and working conditions offer.
This now casts doubt over operations and deepens an already fragile relationship between the flight crew and management.
Last week, The Citizen reported that pilots who continue to operate may run out of legal flying time, which could result in more FlySafair planes being parked.
A revised offer from trade union Solidarity is expected to be tabled on Monday.
A FlySafair pilot told The Citizen that they reckon FlySafair will win the battle but lose the war.
'It's scorched earth,' said the pilot. 'Burn the cities while retreating, just like the Napoleonic wars. That's what this feels like. Management is hell-bent on strong-arming everyone, and it's just getting worse. It started with the lockout, and their endgame makes no sense at all. They're losing money constantly, and they're pissing off their own pilots in the process.'
'They are pissing off the pilots'
A cartoon purportedly drawn by FlySafair management is labelled fake by the company. Picture Supplied
But the public warfare seems mutual. A cartoon, purportedly drawn by FlySafair Chief Financial Officer Pieter Richards, depicting its pilot body with the headline 'over paid matriculants,' has been circulated on social media.
FlySafair's Kirby Gordon said that it was fake.
'We categorically deny that this image was created or circulated by Pieter Richards or any member of FlySafair's management or negotiation team. The claim is entirely false and appears to be part parallel to a broader pattern of misinformation being shared by Solidarity, which sadly does not support negotiations in good faith and undermines efforts to reach a constructive resolution.'
Also Read: Strike strain may ground more FlySafair flights next week
While the union initially demanded a 10.5% salary increase, pilots have now moderated their position and are now asking for a figure closer to 7%. However, he stressed that salary is only part of the problem. Pilots complain about the rostering system, fatigue and being overworked.
Fatigued and overworked
The airline, which has been operating on a reduced schedule since the strike began last week, has faced mounting pressure to resolve the dispute as disruptions continue across its domestic network. Pilots, represented by the trade union Solidarity, have refused to back down, citing not only salary concerns but also deteriorating working conditions, excessive fatigue and a lack of trust in management. Another FlySafair pilot said that 'if Safair gets its way in this strike, there's going to be a mass exodus. Qualified, experienced pilots will walk. And once they're gone, they're not coming back.' A colleague at the budget carrier agreed: 'Pilots will desert in hordes. That's the plan for many already. They're forcing us to leave because of the way that we are treated.'
Solidarity's Helgard Cronjé said the strike was the result of years of pent-up frustration. 'Working conditions have deteriorated, with flight schedules leading to serious exhaustion for our members. Pilots have warned that the current situation is not sustainable,' Cronjé told media.
He said the relationship between pilots and FlySafair's management has 'crumbled,' and accused the airline of taking a clinical approach driven by profit at the expense of the people who keep the operation running.
'Incredible display of guts'
Private Facebook group FlyAfrica's Duncan Gillespie echoed the sentiment in a strongly worded statement of support for the striking pilots. 'In an incredible display of guts, courage, solidarity, and resolve. FlyAfrica stands by and supports these brave men and women in their struggle against their oppressive and tyrannical management,' he said.
Now Read: FlySafair's Kirby Gordon: 'Mr Nice Guy' does a nice fly
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IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Not about the money: FlySafair pilots express their frustration in open letter to the South African public
The striking FlySafair pilots say the rostering system disregards their wellbeing. Image: Supplied The FlySafair pilots' strike has entered its second week, with no resolution in sight as the airline and Solidarity, the union representing its pilots, remain deadlocked over working conditions. The union stated, after this past weekend's negotiations, that FlySafair's offer of a 5.7% pay increase was largely acceptable, but the airline's new roster system remained a sticking point. On Tuesday, Solidarity issued an 'open letter' to the public on behalf of its striking pilots, to explain their plight amid accusations on some fronts that the pilots were being greedy. 'Let us be clear: this strike is not about greed. It is about dignity. It is about safety. It is about fairness. It is about being heard,' the statement explained. 'This year alone, 37 highly trained, experienced pilots have resigned - not in search of luxury, but in search of stability and respect. These are professionals who have sacrificed years of their lives and small fortunes in training, only to find themselves working under conditions that disregard their well-being.' The biggest point of consternation, Solidarity says, is the forced implementation of a new algorithm-driven rostering system. 'While the technology promised efficiency, the reality has been brutal: minimal rest, erratic schedules, and zero regard for basic human needs. The pilots asked for one weekend off a month. The response? ' The algorithm doesn't like rules' 'This is the kind of cold logic we are up against. But aviation is not a factory. Pilots are not products of a shift system. We are human beings responsible for hundreds of lives at a time. Predictability, rest, and mental well-being are not luxuries – they are necessities. And they are being stripped away,' the joint statement said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The pilots say their voices are not being heard. Image: Supplied The open letter also highlighted a 'growing culture of silence and fear", in which concerns about fatigue, safety and attrition are routinely dismissed or met with intimidation. Pilots claim they're 'spoken at' rather than with. Solidarity also sought to clarify the widespread claims that the pilots earn R1.8 million to R2.4 million, stating that those figures only apply to a small number of senior captains. Most earn significantly less, the union said, and at FlySafair salaries have not returned to pre-Covid levels, despite promises made during the crisis. The joint statement also claims that average fight hours are being misrepresented. FlySafair claims its pilots fly an average of 63 hours per month, but Solidarity says many line pilots fly 85 to over 100 hours per month, and that excludes standby periods or training, which often exceed 180 hours of total duty per month. This is close to the legal maximum of 200. The union also claims that FlySafair has obtained a legal dispensation to fly pilots up to 120 hours per month, which it says is unacceptable in a safety-critical industry. It also said pilots are sometimes denied leave due to staff shortages, and rostered for back-to-back duties that disrupt sleep cycles and family time. 'We accepted hardship during Covid. We accepted pay cuts. We waited, believing that once the airline recovered, our sacrifices would be recognised. The airline did recover. FlySafair has become one of South Africa's most successful carriers, flying up to 190 flights a day, with high load factors and strong market share. As pilots we can be proud to have played a part in that success. But our working conditions have not improved,' the statement explained. 'Salaries remain 10% below pre-COVID levels. We still fly without loss-of-license cover, proper disability protection and basic scheduling fairness. 'Therefore, we ask: is it too much to request a single weekend a month with our families? Is it too much to ask for a say in the systems that determine how we live our lives? Is it unreasonable to expect that our pay reflects our work and responsibilities? Is it not in the public's interest to ensure their pilots are well-rested and motivated?' The pilots apologised to the public, whose travel plans had been disrupted. 'This is not something we ever wanted. But we cannot protect you in the air if we are not protected on the ground. This is about the sustainability of the profession, the well-being of those flying your aircraft, and the future of aviation in South Africa. 'The airline's pilots are not asking for the sun and the moon. We are asking for: a predictable and humane roster that allows us to live healthy lives; fair and competitive salaries, corrected to pre-Covid levels; a voice in decisions that impact our lives and safety; and above all, respect – for the work we do, and the responsibility we carry.' FlySafair tells its side of the story With regard to the rostering system, FlySafair told IOL that the fixed scheduling rules that pilots were demanding would substantially limit the airline's ability to roster pilots efficiently. FlySafair said its new 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. 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.' However, Solidarity said it believes that such a committee, as proposed by the airline, would not give the pilots sufficient power in the process. FlySafair said on Monday that it continues to operate a 'stable but reduced' flight schedule as the new week begins, with more pilots returning to duty each day. Details of the next negotiation meeting, involving the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), have yet to be released.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
The strike was never our destination
FlySafair assures customers that amidst pilot strikes, the airline is managing disruptions effectively. Image: Henk Kruger/ Independent Media Today, we write to you not from the flight deck, but from a place of deep frustration, disappointment, and genuine concern for our passengers, our profession, and the future of South African aviation. After years of remaining silent, trusting promises of stability, fairness, and recognition, we find ourselves amid the longest pilot strike in South African history. This is not a distinction we sought – it is merely a measure of how far things have deteriorated. The particular airline's pilots have exhausted every avenue of negotiation. Pilots are now standing together because we cannot allow silence to signal acceptance any longer. Initially, the airline's pilots intended to strike one day to signal their dissatisfaction, express our disappointment, and demonstrate the seriousness of their concerns. But instead of being met with a willingness to engage, we were met with a lockout. We were forced out, not just physically but symbolically – pushed into a corner, with no choice but to take a stand. What was meant to be a measured act of protest became a long and painful standoff, not by their design, but by the company's decision to escalate. What this is really about Let us be clear: this strike is not about greed. It is about dignity. It is about safety. It is about fairness. It is about being heard. This year alone, 37 highly trained, experienced pilots have resigned – not in search of luxury, but in search of stability and respect. These are professionals who have sacrificed years of their lives and small fortunes in training, only to find themselves working under conditions that disregard their well-being. Their core concern stems from the forced implementation of a new, algorithm-driven rostering system. While the technology promised efficiency, the reality has been brutal: Minimal rest, erratic schedules, and zero regard for basic human needs. The pilots asked for one weekend off a month. The response? 'The algorithm doesn't like rules.' This is the kind of cold logic we are up against. But aviation is not a factory. Pilots are not products of a shift system. We are human beings responsible for hundreds of lives at a time. Predictability, rest, and mental well-being are not luxuries – they are necessities. And they are being stripped away. The bigger picture: A culture of silence and disregard This strike also shines a light on a deeper problem – a growing culture of silence and fear. Concerns about fatigue, safety, and attrition are routinely dismissed or met with intimidation. It seems that we are spoken to, not with. We are being treated as liabilities instead of professionals dedicated to the craft of aviation. This cannot continue. The truth behind the headlines Recent public statements have painted an inaccurate picture. Some claim that pilots earn R1.8 to R2.4 million per year. The truth is: those figures only apply to a small number of senior captains. Most pilots earn significantly less, and at this airline, salaries have not returned to pre-COVID levels, despite promises made during the crisis. Average flight hours are also being misrepresented. While reports quote 63 hours per month, many line pilots fly 85 to over 100 hours monthly. And that doesn't include ground duty time, standby periods, or training, often exceeding 180 hours of total duty per month, with 200 being the absolute legal maximum. We are aware of the fact that FlySafair has obtained a legal dispensation to fly pilots up to 120 hours per month. We believe this is unacceptable in a safety-critical industry, and we have raised these concerns repeatedly only to be ignored. We know pilots are denied leave because there are not enough crew. We are rostered for back-to-back duties that disrupt sleep cycles and family time. And we are burning out. What we sacrifice – and what we ask We accepted hardship during COVID. We accepted pay cuts. We waited, believing that once the airline recovered, our sacrifices would be recognised. The airline did recover. FlySafair has become one of South Africa's most successful carriers, flying up to 190 flights a day, with high load factors and strong market share. As pilots, we can be proud to have played a part in that success. But our working conditions have not improved. Salaries remain 10% below pre-COVID levels. We still fly without loss-of-license cover, proper disability protection and basic scheduling fairness. Therefore, we ask:- Is it too much to request a single weekend a month with our families?- Is it too much to ask for a say in the systems that determine how we live our lives?- Is it unreasonable to expect that our pay reflects our work and responsibilities?- Is it not in the public's interest to ensure their pilots are well-rested and motivated? We understand the times we're in Pilots are acutely aware of the broader economic struggles facing South Africa. We know many families are hurting. We know jobs are scarce, and inflation is hitting hard. This is not a strike taken lightly or without empathy. We are South Africans too. We pay the same prices, worry about the same future, and want this country to thrive. But in hard times, fair treatment and responsible employment practices matter even more. Ensuring pilots are supported and well-rested isn't just about us – it's about everyone who boards a plane and expects to be flown safely to their destination. To the public: Our apology and our hope To those whose travel plans have been disrupted, we sincerely apologise. This is not something we ever wanted. But we cannot protect you in the air if we are not protected on the ground. This is about the sustainability of the profession, the well-being of those flying your aircraft, and the future of aviation in South Africa. The airline's pilots are not asking for the sun and the moon. We are asking for:- a predictable and humane roster that allows us to live healthy lives;- fair and competitive salaries, corrected to pre-COVID levels;- a voice in decisions that impact our lives and safety;- and above all, respect for the work we do, and the responsibility we carry. We want the next generation of South African pilots to once again believe in this career. Pilots want to stay. We want to serve. We want to fly. But these pilots cannot continue under conditions that compromise safety, well-being, and dignity. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for your support. Gideon du Plessis General Secretary: Solidarity
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
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