The South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) says it is cautiously optimistic about South African Airways return to the skies after being grounded last year.
The airline resumed flights on the Johannesburg-Cape Town route on Thursday morning.
Other destinations of the airline include Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lusaka in Zambia, Maputo in Mozambique and Accra in Ghana.
The Association spokesperson, Zazi Nsibanyoni-Mugambi says the return of SAA is a bitter-sweet moment for employees as there are still many unresolved issues.
“The conditions of employment for our members are shocking right now, there are literally been shoved down their throat. For instance, there is a 35% wage cut for the lowest-paid workers, whereas management are receiving increases on some instances with their packages which is extremely unfair. You find the leave has been reduced for cabin crew, the sick leave which is vital for people that fly between various climates has been reduced so there are many issues.”
It also had to retrench thousands of workers because of financial challenges in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mhlontlo is being interviewed by Morning Live:
Return to the skies is an important symbol of hope for the country: SAA CFO
South African Airways(SAA) interim Chief Financial Officer, Fikile Mhlontlo, has described the airline’s resumption of flights as an important symbol of hope for the country.
Mhlontlo is upbeat about the bouncing back of SAA.
“Today we have reset and we are now coming back to join the rest of the industry flying again. It’s a great day and with future prospects with the direction the company is going, those things may not be necessarily being such a hindrance going into the future. It’s a proud, proud moment. It is a show of hope. It shows that you can be on the ground but you can be up there in the sky again,” says Mhlontlo.
