‘We are not happy with Comair at all’
Durban - Comair, which is a franchisee of British Airways and parent company of low-cost airline Kulula.com, will embark on a strike due to the unresolved workers wage demands.
Credit: INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Comair, which is a franchisee of British Airways and parent company of low-cost airline Kulula.com, will embark on a strike due to the unresolved workers wage demands. File photo: Matthew JordaanThe Union for Comair workers, UASA, is demanding a 30% percent salary increase over a three-year period at 10% every year as the cost of living is increasing. Comair is only offering 22.5% over the three-year period at 7.5% increase per year.
UASA represents approximately 400 members or 60 percent of airport employees at Comair.
According to a Comair worker in management at King Shaka International Airport, there is currently a foul mood as workers are adamant that they are going to leave their work stations on Wednesday evening.
“We are not happy with Comair at all, we are not receiving much especially as the cost of living is getting higher everyday. A Comair worker does not earn enough to purchase a house and car they can only choose one. We will strike because we are unhappy and we have tried to talk peacefully and reach an agreement but we are not being heard, the worker said.
According UASA, Comair employees will all embark on a strike from Wednesday evening after failed wage negotiations since the beginning of November 2015.
All ticket sales, AMC ground patrollers, ramp controllers and special agents located at different airports around the country will not be on duty.
Another worker at Comair says that the company has even started intimidating workers if they partake in the strike.
“We have been issued a lockout and it is unfair because it is as if they do not care. We are not agreeing with the deal and the fact that they are threatening to fire us if we don’t pitch up for work ... is unfair it just shows you how unreasonable they are.
“We have to deal with difficult clients, we get to deal with flight delays and arrive home late with no one taking care of our families all we want is a decent wage like all the other workers at other airlines.”
Comiar has expressed regret that they could not come to an agreement with the union.
CEO of Comair Erik Venter said: “We pride ourselves in providing fair remuneration and competitive staff benefits. We have every intention to minimise the impact on our customers. We encourage our customers to check in online or at self service desks.”
However, UASA said in a statement that the intended strike could cause "massive inconveniences" and "delays in air travel" if the wage demands were not met soon.
IOL MOJO and Reuters