The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has described as outrageous the decision by Air Chefs management to demand an urgent interdict against a planned strike by workers.
This after Air Chefs employees, affiliated to NUMSA, appeared in the Labour Court in Johannesburg on Sunday to prevent management from interdicting the strike due to start on Monday. Workers accuse management of unilaterally withdrawing the anniversary bonus.
Air Chefs management claims the strike is unprotected. Air Chefs is responsible for preparing food on flights including SAA, SA Express, Mango Airline and Swiss Airline.
NUMSA’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says they have followed all processes.
“We believe that we have followed all the correct processes. We deadlocked with Air Chefs in April. It is outrageous that the management of Air Chefs can then rush to court on the eve of the strike and demand an urgent interdict when it had months to engage with that on this issue and find an avenue to resolve this amicably. If the court finds in our favour on the issue that our strike is protected then we are going ahead.”
