The South African Airways Pilots Association (Saapa) could embark on labour action against the appointment as interim CEO of Zuks Ramasia after the resignation of Vuyani Jarana.
If the strike goes ahead it will be the first time that Saapa members have downed tools since the association was founded 80 years ago.
After news broke of his resignation last week, Jarana cited board recalcitrance and its impact on the implementation of turnaround strategies at the hobbled state carrier as primary reasons for his departure.
Saapa says it’s the same board that led to the hollowing out of SAA’s coffers and, with an ultimatum issued last week before the long weekend, it gave the airline until Friday to fire the entire executive or face a pilot strike.
Saapa has since also heard from the National Union of Metalworkers of SA and the South African Cabin Crew Association who said they would back Saapa in the event of labour action.
Saapa’s main concern with Ramasia, it said, was that she was not fit to lead an airline that had debt of R21.7 billion, had been used as a vehicle for state-capture apparatchiks to siphon off money, and would most likely only start showing a profit again in 18 months’ time – provided it was run by the right person.
And as representatives from the airfreight sector watch with concern developments at the airline, Ramasia and the board have yet to react against the possibility that its pilots could soon strike.
