Taking advantage of the fact that not all of its 5,000 workers have downed tools, the troubled South African Airways (SAA) on Monday announced that it would resume flights to six African destinations.
“SAA is pleased to announce its intention to resume flights to six destinations on the African continent, namely Accra, Lagos, Lusaka, Maputo, Windhoek and Harare with effect from Tuesday,” the flag carrier said in a statement.
According to the airline, it would re-book SAA passengers on regional routes that remained affected, while domestic passengers would continue to be transferred to its sister airlines Mango and South Africa Airlink whose staff have not joined the strike.
Now in its fourth day, the strike by 3,000 SAA workers belonging to two unions have vowed not to return to work until their demands for better wages, end to retrenchments and corruption in the organisation are met.
The industrial action has so far seen 200 flights grounded since the strike began on Friday, with the airline revealing that the stoppage was costing it US$3.33 million per day, a development that does not augur well for the troubled company.
The announcement comes in the wake of news that one of the unions, the National Union of Metal Workers South Africa (NUMSA) wants to urge workers in other South African airlines to down tools as well as a means of getting the SAA management to succumb to the worker’s demands.
Should this happen, the SAA said it would take NUMSA to court to stop the strike.
Both sides, however, said they were still in talking terms although they have yet to agree on the way forward.
NM/jn/APA