The South African Cabin Crew Association, the National Union of Metalworkers and the Mango Pilots Association say they are unhappy about a decision taken by SAA to reject a capital injection for Mango Airlines.
The unions say SAA is forcing Mango Business Rescue Practitioners to keep the budget airline grounded. Mango is expected to resume operations next month. Unions say the SAA board is insisting that Mango remain grounded until a strategic equity partner is found.
“We were concerned that it was never the DPE’s intention to save Mango and that they were intentionally running it into the ground and it seems we have been proven right. In essence the money gazetted to start operations and re-start Mango Airlines is being held to ransom because the shareholder does not want Mango to take to the skies. This is absurd! And it begs the question, what is the Department of Public Enterprises true intention for Mango? The aviation sector has already bled thousands of jobs this year, at least 3200 direct jobs at SAA and another 1850 are expected to be cut at SAA Technical,” NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi -Majola explains.
VIDEO: Mango Airlines employees offered voluntary severance packages:
