The cash-strapped South African Airways (SAA) plans to retrench nearly 5,000 workers as part of a restructuring exercise to return the loss-making government-run airline to profitability, unions confirmed on Tuesday.
According to workers’ unions, employees of the airline have been served with letters notifying them with the impending job cuts.
They said the letter were mere notices to enable the SAA to start the process of consultations that could result in the cutting of 4,700 jobs from the airline.
The consultation process will affect only the SAA and not its subsidiaries such as Mango Airlines, technical and catering sections, the unions said.
In case of a decision, the National Transport Movement Union (NTMU) has urged the government to absorb the retrenched workers instead of throwing them into the streets.
NTMU president Mashudu Raphetha, however, said he did not anticipate the SAA to shed off such a high number of workers.
During earlier discussions between the SAA and the unions, the latter rejected plans to cut any jobs.
NM/jn/APA