An increase of 5.7% offered by FlySafair was rejected by the majority of pilots as union Solidarity are demanding 10.5%.
FlySafair have revealed how much their captains earn as the airline suffers scheduling disruptions due to a pilot strike.
Wage negotiations stalled last week and the airline made public that their captains are among the nation’s highest earners.
Solidarity, the union representing the pilots, set the desired wage increase at 10.5% plus additional benefits, but FlySafair said the increase amounted to “an unsustainable escalation”.
Salaries in excess of R2m
FlySafair on Sunday reiterated that it had tabled a 5.7% increase, accompanied by additional benefits and a bonus.
The airline said that Solidarity’s demands amounted to a 20% increase in the overall cost to the company, and that their current position takes into consideration the effect the increase would have on the airline’s other 1 700 employees.
FlySafair chief marketing officer Kirby Gordon said that the airline’s pilots were already among the highest paid in the country.
“Our captains earn between R1.8 and R2.3 million annually. Many pilots earn more than members of FlySafair’s executive committee,” Gordon said.
The proposed increase in above inflation but the South African Revenue Service forces citizens earning over R1.81 million per annum to pay a fixed amount of R644 000 in tax plus 45% of taxable income over R1.81 million.
Escalating dispute
Solidarity deputy general secretary Helgard Cronje said last week that flight schedules were leaving pilots exhausted.
Gordon responded by saying the International Air Transport Association and International Civil Aviation Organization capped flight duty at 100 hours per month.
“In terms of workload, FlySafair captains spent an average of 63 hours last month in the cockpit flying passengers,” said Gordon.
Solidarity initially issued a notice to strike for just one day, but the airline retaliated with a seven-day lockout notice.
In turn, Solidarity dug their heals in and issued a notice to double the airline’s lockout with a 14-day strike.
“Solidarity’s one-day notice was aimed at forcing the company back to the negotiating table, but FlySafair has now escalated the dispute, which could last for weeks,” Cronje added.
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