Latest news with #Solidarity
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
Is FlySafair's ‘fair' shift proposal for real? Put it in writing, Solidarity demands, as talks resume
FlySafair continues to operate a reduced schedule as the strike drags on. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Media Negotiations between FlySafair and Solidarity, the union representing its striking pilots, were set to resume on Wednesday afternoon, with the airline's controversial shift scheduling system still leading the agenda. There appears to be a level of miscommunication between the parties following FlySafair's latest statement to the media, issued on Wednesday morning. The low-cost carrier said its pilots were indeed guaranteed rest weekends in the new shift schedule, and that pilots had access to the schedule. However, in a statement released later on Wednesday, Solidarity said this was 'new information' that had never been mentioned during the previous negotiations. The union's deputy general secretary, Helgard Cronjé, said there was no valid reason why FlySafair should not agree in writing to the pilots' demands regarding the shift schedule. 'The request for a three-day weekend in a five-week cycle cannot be accommodated by their system's algorithm, according to FlySafair. Such a shift schedule was among our conditions that were rejected. Yet some of our proposals are already being accommodated and used in the very system,' Cronjé said. 'Our request is simply this: put the agreement in writing so that the pilots can hold the company to it'. He claimed that FlySafair was refusing to put these provisions in writing, describing them as 'soft' rules that the company could change as it sees fit. ALSO READ: 'Is it too much to request a single weekend with our family?': Flysafair pilots issue open letter amid strike FlySafair said its most recent settlement proposal, which was rejected by the union, was designed to empower the pilot body to shape its own roster rules through an independently chaired committee. Solidarity stated that it is accepted practice in South African labour law for an employee's terms of employment, including working hours, to be stipulated in an employment contract. 'It's simple. Take these rules that are already being implemented and let's put them in an agreement so that pilots can enjoy the same protection as other employees,' Cronjé added. 'Instead, the company's conditions on which they were prepared to give the pilots a vote on a committee were that the pilots would first have to give up their right to strike on the issue. Furthermore, the committee will also have no powers to enforce recommendations'. 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 Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Solidarity believes that pilots would be signing away their only constitutional right, while the company retains its full powers to implement decisions. 'The company's argument is that we are seeking operational control (on behalf of the pilots). An agreement in which they have a say on shifts protects a basic right and is certainly not a takeover of operational control,' Cronjé explained. 'It rather serves as protection for an employee so that an employer's powers are limited to its business interests and so that it does not control the employee's life'. In its statement released on Wednesday, FlySafair said it was committed to reaching an outcome that protects the long-term health of the business and supports the well-being of all its employees. The pilot strike is now in its second week, with no resolution in sight. Over the weekend, Solidarity said FlySafair's offer of a 5.7% pay increase was largely acceptable, but the rostering system remained a point of contention. An open letter from the pilots, issued on Tuesday - read the full statement here - raised concerns over safety, fatigue, and a culture of intimidation at the airline. Pilots have been asking for fairer working conditions and at least one guaranteed weekend off per month. '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 letter declared. Although FlySafair claims its pilots average 63 flight hours per month, Solidarity countered that many line pilots fly 85 to over 100 hours monthly. Amid the strike, FlySafair said it continues to operate a 'stable but reduced' flight schedule, with more pilots returning to duty each day. IOL Business
The South African
8 hours ago
- Business
- The South African
What's the price of flights NOW amid ongoing FlySafair pilot strike?
A week into FlySafair's pilot strike, domestic flight prices in South Africa have surged dramatically, leaving travellers scrambling for affordable options. The disruption has reduced available capacity on key domestic routes, particularly the Johannesburg-Cape Town route, which has historically been South Africa's busiest air corridor. But just how much has the price of flights surged after the FlySafair pilots went on strike? FlySafair pilots, represented by the trade union Solidarity, recently went on strike on 21 July 2025 in protest over salary increases, leave policies and rostering practices. The airline responded by locking out striking pilots, grounding several flights and reducing daily schedules. This capacity crunch created a ripple effect across all airlines, allowing competitors to hike fares significantly. So, how much are travellers having to fork out to fly around South Africa? According to data sourced from live searches on Expedia, Kayak, and airline booking platforms on 30 July, here's what you're looking at in terms of the price of flights: Route Normal price (pre-strike) Current price (strike period) Johannesburg – Cape Town R957 – R1 200 R1 500 – R10 000 Johannesburg – Durban R800 – R1 000 R1 200 – R4 500 Cape Town – Durban R1 000 – R1 400 R1 500 – R5 000 Johannesburg – Gqeberha R1 200 – R1 600 R2 000 – R6 500 These numbers show that the strike has significantly impacted domestic aviation, as FlySafair normally provides nearly 40% of seat capacity on these popular routes. With these flights reduced, budget-friendly options have dwindled, prompting airlines such as Airlink, CemAir, Lift, and SAA to raise fares, particularly for last-minute bookings. Meanwhile, negotiations between the airline and the pilots' union continue. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- 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.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Business
- The Citizen
FlySafair pilots and management meet to table new proposal
The week-long lockout of FlySafair pilots may ground more flights if talks fail today. Striking FlySafair pilots and airline management meet today to table new proposals and engage on finding a middle ground to end the strike. The budget carrier's flight deck has been locked out for more than a week following a wage and rostering dispute. Initially, pilots only asked for a stayaway of a day, but the airline locked them out for longer. Union rejects offer, tensions rise More than 90% of Solidarity unionised pilots rejected the airline's wage and working conditions offer over the weekend. Many crew said yesterday that even somewhat north of a 7% settlement would be closer to the initial 10.5% demand. Should today's meeting be unsuccessful, pilots who continue to operate on the schedule may run out of legal flying time. Flight disruptions may worsen as hours run out In turn, this could result in more FlySafair planes being parked. A FlySafair pilot said they reckon the airline may 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. ALSO READ: FlySafair strike drags on with more than 90% of pilots rejecting offer 'They're losing money constantly and they're pissing off their own pilots in the process.' FlySafair has faced mounting pressure to resolve the dispute as disruptions continue across its domestic network. Pilots warn of mass resignations and safety risks 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 '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 we are treated.' Inexperience in the cockpit raises safety concerns Senior FlySafair flight deck staff also suggested that the airline may be subtly encouraging resignations by its actions. They said it makes financial sense to pair inexperienced first officers with captains, but it makes no sense from a safety perspective. 'When there is such a vast experience gap between commander and first officer, it places enormous strain on the captain,' they said. 'The 737 is already a complex aircraft to operate,' a pilot told The Citizen. There is also a greater risk to the aviation industry, another pilot said. ALSO READ: FlySafair responds to pilot strike: majority of flights operating, apologises to affected customers Industry-wide pilot shortage fuels long-term alarm 'There are only about 800 commercial passenger airline pilots in South Africa right now. FlySafair has around 300 and Airlink around the same, with smaller airlines the balance. Half of the trained pilots are already out of the system. 'Where did they go? Overseas, private charters, anything but this kind of environment we must endure.' The pilot said 'we'll end up with a country that needs 1 000 pilots but only has 500. And Safair? With fewer pilots, there will be fewer flights, which means scarcity and higher prices. That's already happening. 'Prices are up, demand is high and it's almost like they're profiting off the scarcity they're helping create.' Cartoon controversy adds fuel to the fire There is no love lost between the pilots and management. A cartoon, purportedly drawn by FlySafair chief financial officer Pieter Richards, depicting its pilot body with the headline 'Overpaid matriculants', has been circulated on social media. FlySafair's Kirby Gordon said 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.' Working conditions have deteriorated Helgard Cronjé, deputy general secretary at Solidarity, 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.' Private Facebook group FlyAfrica's Duncan Gillespie made a statement of support for the 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: Here's how much FlySafair pilots are earning as increase offer rejected
The Herald
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald
'It's not a straightforward job': Pilots seek predictability as Solidarity rejects latest FlySaFair wage offer
Since the introduction of the new rostering system, FlySafair pilots are no longer able to plan their off-time in advance. TimesLIVE spoke to a pilot on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, after trade union Solidarity's rejection of the company's latest wage offer. A pilot who has been in the industry for more than 15 years told TimesLIVE that a year ago the airline introduced a new rostering system to 'optimise the way that the crew is neutralised'. He said before the new system, pilots worked according to what they called a pattern roster, where they worked for six days, rested for two days, and then worked another six days and rested for three days. This allowed them to predict when they would have off days, enabling them to plan their leave and family events. What they had now introduced was deemed to be a flexible pattern roster with no obvious pattern in the roster algorithm to allow pilots to work out their off days and generally worked on a five-day schedule. ' You fly for a maximum amount of five days, but you have no say when your off days will be. I t becomes a variable pattern. The pilots are struggling to forecast when their off days will be and it's very difficult to make family commitments and to schedule your off time effectively,' said the pilot. FlySafair said on Sunday that the primary point of disagreement centres on the union's demand for the implementation of fixed scheduling rules. 'While the intention behind these proposals is to improve work-life balance, their combined effect would substantially limit the airline's ability to roster pilots efficiently. 'This could, in turn, negatively affect both passengers and the wider crew. As a constructive alternative, FlySafair proposed the formation of an independently chaired joint roster committee comprising both pilot and company representatives. 'This body would be empowered to test and refine proposed scheduling rules in a live environment before implementation — ensuring that any changes are carefully evaluated for their impact on productivity, safety and overall wellbeing,' said the airline. It said that it continues to operate a stable but reduced flight schedule as the new week begins, with more pilots returning to duty each day. The pilot said the impasse was worsened by the fact that they don't employ the correct number of pilots, which then affects the amount of leave that the pilots can take. 'If you work a roster and the leave issues together, you know, it becomes increasingly difficult, you can't forecast your off-time, but you also can't get leave. T he guys are left with very little options in that sense,' he said. He added that pilots' work is not a normal 8am to 4pm job and the new roster adds to fatigue. During a typical week, from day one to day three, they could start very early and suddenly from day four and five be expected to fly from midday till midnight. 'When night-time comes around on day three or four, because you have been awake early in the morning already, you are tired,' he said. According to the pilot, many studies have been done about circadian rhythms and how pilot fatigue needs to be managed. He blamed the airline for allegedly not sticking to industry best practice.
