South Africa: South African Airways (SAA) service fully resumes November 24 /update 4

Event

South African Airways (SAA) resumed full service on Sunday, November 24, after reaching an agreement with striking workers. On Friday, November 22, SAA announced that an indefinite strike launched by the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) ended after both sides agreed to a 5.9 percent wage increase. The new deal also deferred consultations on planned job cuts to January 31, 2020. According to SAA, customers seeking a refund or wanting to rebook service impacted by the strike have until Saturday, November 30, to finalize arrangements. Further details can be found on the SAA website here.

Context

Around 3000 SAA workers, including cabin crew, ground staff, check-in, and ticket sales staff launched an indefinite strike on November 15, after SAA officials did not meet their salary demands and started consultations for removing over 900 workers. SAA officials have warned that the strike may cause the airline to collapse and threatens all of their jobs and those in related industries.

Advice

Potentially impacted travelers are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to contact their airline for additional information.