FlySafair pilots say they are exhausted, unheard and unvalued

Pilots working for FlySafair are planning to strike amidst their discontent with salary negotiations and working conditions at the airline.

More than half of the pilots working for FlySafair, South Africa’s largest domestic airline, are preparing to go on strike after failing to reach an agreement on wages.

This was revealed by trade union Solidarity, which represents almost two-thirds of FlySafair’s pilots.

The union said in a press statement that, in a recent poll, almost 84% of Solidarity members rejected FlySafair’s current proposal.

Bloomberg reported that most of the 211 pilots represented by Solidarity rejected the airline’s final offer of a 5.7% raise.

Solidarity’s deputy general secretary, Helgard Cronjé, said the pilots feel exhausted, ignored and unappreciated.

He said there is a growing sense of neglect and burnout among members and a crumbling relationship between the crew and management. 

“Working conditions have deteriorated, with flight schedules leading to serious exhaustion for our members,” he said. 

“Pilots have warned that the current situation is not sustainable.” He added that Solidarity’s demands are not unreasonable and call for fairness, respect and transparency to restore trust in FlySafair’s management. 

The union’s members are demanding 10.5% in the first year and inflation-linked increases in the subsequent two years.

“The breach of trust between crew and management has reached a critical point where the future of many pilots at FlySafair is uncertain,” Cronjé warned.

“FlySafair’s cold, clinical approach – one that seems to be obsessed with percentages, costs and profits – is precisely what led to this breach of trust. The question must be asked: What is FlySafair without its pilots?”

He told Bloomberg that Solidarity and FlySafair will finalise the rules on Thursday, 17 July, under the guidance of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. After which, the first strike could start a few days later.