Nationwide's 'salary shock'
Sep 22 2005
Cape Town - The remuneration paid by Nationwide to its workers is the worst in the industry, trade union Solidarity claimed on Thursday on the eve of a possible crippling strike for the low-cost carrier.
Solidarity is demanding a 5% salary increase and a 3% pensionable increase for its members, while Nationwide is offering a 4% increase.
Solidarity said in a statement the basic starting salary for cabin crew at Nationwide is only R3 920. This is before the addition of a shift allowance of R117 and the proposed 4% increase, which would add R161 per month.
For the second year of service the basic salary remains R3 920 plus an annual increment of R380 and in the third year the basic salary increases to R4 300.
After six years' service the salary increases by R1 020 to R4 980, Solidarity said.
The union said the poor pay causes great staff turnover at Nationwide.
"This means that new cabin crew has to be trained all the time," said Solidarity spokesperson Jaco Kleynhans.
He said due to the shortage of cabin crew many of the existing crew members are also obliged to fly outside scheduled hours.
"The overtime makes great demands on the cabin crew. Stress levels are high and morale is low, as a result of difficult working conditions and poor pay."
Solidarity also said Nationwide refused it access to the group's financial statements "to determine it the carrier is really in financial difficulty as it claims".
The trade union has now asked the labour dispute council, the CCMA, to intervene in an attempt to reach a speedy resolution.
Nationwide employs approximately 1 000 people.
"In terms of this calculation a demand for an additional 1% would cost the company between R496 320 and R615 312 for 2005/06, a far cry from the company's loss of income if a strike is factored in," Solidarity said.
The strike is set to begin at 17:00 on Friday, and will continue until 17:00 on Monday.
If the strike does not produce the desired result, it will be resumed on the next weekend, Solidarity threatened.
Finance24