Comair cabin staff strike looms

[Ockie]

Johannesburg - Solidarity said on Saturday that a strike certificate had been issued to the union after salary negotiations with Comair broke down.

Solidarity's professional industry head Johan Botha said: "A dispute has been declared because the salaries of cabin crew have been calculated on their basic salary only and not on employees’ total cost package since 2011."

He said the cabin crew’s basic salary constituted only 53% of their total cost package and they were demanding a 12.3% increase on the total package.

Solidarity represents 210 members of the 389-member cabin crew.

Overtime pay

"In terms of the employer’s latest salary offer, employees would either receive an increase of 7.5% on their total cost package, or an increase of 8% on condition that overtime would only be calculated after 125 hours per month," said Botha.

“This would mean that employees would have to fund their own increase by forfeiting on overtime pay."

He said the employees wanted to avoid a strike, but that since September last year it had been unsuccessful in negotiations with Comair.

The union in December referred a dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

The CCMA compelled Comair to continue negotiations with Solidarity and talks resumed on 22 January.

"Solidarity is party to a co-operation agreement with Comair in terms of which negotiations on behalf of members would be undertaken collectively" said Botha.

Battling financially

He said Comair's financial position had strengthened since 2012 and the company was in a position to grant them a favourable increase.

“We believe our members are now entitled to a firm increase to enable them to catch up with the backlog built up over the past three years."

The backlog referred to an agreement signed in 2012 in which the cabin crew agreed to not receive an increase in the first year as the company was battling financially.

"By our calculations, our members should receive an increase of at least 12.3% on their total cost package to compensate for the backlog," said Botha.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Comair-cabin-staff-strike-looms-20150124

 

[Hamster]

And so it starts...

 

[Kosmik]

And so it starts...

I'm on the fence with this one, depends on how their CTC is structured, especially around benefits like pension and medical aid. The company even admits to having an "increase" backlog.

 

[Compton_effect]

Suddenly I'm glad my CT flight is with Mango.

 

[Hamster]

I'm on the fence with this one, depends on how their CTC is structured, especially around benefits like pension and medical aid. The company even admits to having an "increase" backlog.

Whether it is warranted or not is a different issue. But we all know that when there is one strike there are many strikes to come.

 

[sox63]

Whether it is warranted or not is a different issue. But we all know that when there is one strike there are many strikes to come.

But what if they're all warranted? The workers have no other powerful bargaining tool

 

[Paul_S]

But what if they're all warranted? The workers have no other powerful bargaining tool

If the staff feel they're being paid too little then they have the full right to resign and go look for work elsewhere or better yet start their own businesses.
As much as I hate scum bags who exploit people, these protected strikes boil down to blackmailing companies and it doesn't always work out in the employees favour (bankrupt company or forced downscaling).
Our economy needs more graft and less strike action.

 

[Hamster]

But what if they're all warranted? The workers have no other powerful bargaining tool

Well then they should all happen I suppose.

 

[Pitbull]

Jirre, how much hours do they work if the increase is only applied after 125 hours overtime per month? Fark me... that is 31 hours a week overtime or 3.9 days overtime per week at 8 hour working hours per shift.