SAA Pilots suspend talks after RUMOUR
 

Johannesburg - The South African Airways Pilots' Association (Saapa) on Tuesday said it would suspend negotiations with the airline after a rumour circulated that the company would review an arbitration ruling that they could not unilaterally cancel or amend collective agreements.

Saapa spokesperson Captain John Harty said it was a common understanding accepted by Saapa and SAA that the decision of the arbitrators would not be reviewed.

"At the negotiations that were held on Monday, the first since the handing down of the arbitration award, we asked the Vice President Operations to inform us whether or not the company intends to review the arbitration award. He responded saying that the company was looking at the award to see if there were grounds for review and if such grounds existed then they would take the decision on review," he said.

Harty said the company's Senior Counsel was not available for comment on whether the arbitration decision could be taken on review until May 6.

The arbitration came after the company earlier indicated that in June it would cancel or amend terms of employment issues and other collective agreements.

"The Associations need finality on this issue. We simply cannot continue to negotiate under the uncertainty that is being created by the company," Harty said.

Saapa said the very fact that management was now "considering embarking on this course of action is, in our opinion, indicative of the bad faith in which they are conducting these negotiations".

"It was a common understanding that both parties would waive the right to review," Harty added.

Meanwhile, SAA spokesperson Victor Nosi said that the rumour was not correct.

"The rumour is baseless and senior executive members will meet with the union on Thursday to settle the matter," he said.

He said SAA had embarked on a process of making the airline more competitive by looking at labour negotiations.

"We have reached an agreement with ground staff, cabin attendants and now we are currently negotiating with Saapa."

Nosi said the whole objective was "profitability for the airlines".

:D GUNSHIP :D

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_A...175341,00.html

30 April, 2002, JOHANNESBURG: In line with making the airline profitable and competitive, South African Airways (SAA) management remains committed to negotiations with employees' associations, including those representing pilots and cabin crew.
The arbitration ruling last week in favour of the employees' associations, the SAA Pilot Associaton (SAAPA) and the SAA Flight Engineers Association (SAAFEA), representing flight deck crew culminated in a ruling prohibiting unilateral cancellation or amendment of collective agreements that are not perpetual.
SAAPA and SAFEA, the employees' associations, had issued a statement today (30 April), stating that their negotiation teams have decided to "suspend negotiations until such time as we receive a written undertaking from the company that they will not review the arbitration." SAA respects the arbitration ruling and will abide by it. We will meet SAAPA and SAAFEA to inform them that rumours that SAA will challenge the ruling are baseless and without foundation.
Issued by Andre Viljoen, SAA President and CEO.

skyvan, do you have the source for that article?

Sounds like VP Flight Ops has his own agenda. He (VP Flight Ops)told SAAPA at a meeting, that they are looking to review the arbitration award and if that fails, at other ways in which to get out of the agreements. This is no rumour.
Maybe Viljoen should have a chat to his VP Flight Ops.
Doesn't look like there is much in the way of communication between the 2 of them.
One contradicts what the other is saying.

SlapFaan perhaps VILJOEN ? ;-))
 

SlapFaan (Viljoen insider) what do you say about these rumours ?
Will be interesting to get the "official" verdict from you ;-))

Enjoy Workersday ...

:D Gunship :D

Hi 6footer, I found it on the Flysaa.com website. Look under press releases.

It's a great pity that the VP flight ops says the things he says. The amount of trust left between the pilots and management is now in negative figures. When Boswell-Wilkie closed down the circus, they should never have let the clowns lose on the streets.

Thanks, typical management doubletalk. The hard part is figuring out which one is lying, oh no wait, they both are!

Gunship,you are a wealth of information...

I would love to give the "official version" of this,the Viljoen-puppet used to be with SAX as you might well know,and people know peolple who know people..

BUT,as with my comments on "SAX retrenching",as soon as I mention something VERY close to the TRUTH,some get VERY uncomfortable/upset and moderated/shorten it...

I suspect ass..I mean..4holer to be FBI,and could only wish for someone like the Claw to get deported to Siberia....

Gotcha ..
 

I thought I will get SlapFaan out of the closet and make him StyweFaan.

Jokes aside : What does this mean for the "man in the street" (the one's in the cockpit of a SAA a/c) ?

If I look at other news re Zim's a/c repo , Air Namibia's CEO that has been ... and SAX and and ... things do not look good (and I am normally on the positive side ..)

Cheers en lekker bly Bru,

:D Gunship :D

Gunship: You've got the picture........funny how history repeats its self......right from the days of Flitestar.

Slapfaan..........grab another dop boet............:D :D

So what does this mean...?
 

I guess it means that my decision to leave SA & SAA more than 3 years ago was not such a kak move after all!:D

Not a bad idea !
 

126.9 I call myself a patriot but looking at things going this way I also am so glad I made my move, but will not move my family easily, well not here anyway. I still love my month - at - time- vacations every three months.

Hope these guys kan sort their k*k out !

Cheers swaer,

Hi there,instead of starting another thread i think it apropriate to continue with this one.Reading the situation with Aer Lingus i was reminded of how this thread started and the similarities are amazing..the lack of trust re management and the "we will save the airline "attitude without the aircrew seems very close to home.Does anyone know the present status of the negotiations?