Workers demonstrated after government missed a deadline to make funding available for a restructuring plan.
FILE: Numsa and South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) members picket at the SAA Airways Park in Kempton Park on 15 November 2019. Picture: EWN
KEMPTON PARK – South African Airways (SAA) workers affiliated to Numsa and the SA Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) are picketing outside the airline’s office park.
They’re demonstrating in Kempton Park after government missed a deadline to make funding available for a restructuring plan.
Administrators at the airline have called creditors to a meeting on Friday.
The published rescue plan needs R10 billion at the very least to work and the cash has not materialised despite assurances from government.
The Department of Public Enterprises has repeatedly said that it had been approached by unnamed private sector funders and equity investors, insisting that the process was on track.
#numsa #sacca workers are demonstrating outside Airways Park in Kempton Park. KM pic.twitter.com/5w6yYjzPje
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) September 18, 2020
A small group has gathered at SAA’s office park gates.
They’ve kicked off their pickets by singing songs.
Numsa’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said that the majority of the union’s members couldn’t afford to travel here.
“People have had cars and houses repossessed, kicked out of rental homes, they’ve lost assets in this period and government has done nothing.”
She said that government’s handling of the SAA saga showed that it did not care about the workers.
“All of them have not gotten any salaries but the business rescue practitioners, which government appointed to run the process which was supposed to save these entities, they’ve been paid.”
The group is expected to picket until 2pm.