Administrators at struggling South African Airways (SAA) said on Wednesday they have issued a 48-hour notice to prevent nearly 400 pilots from accessing the company’s premises until they agree to new employment terms and conditions.
SAA entered a local form of bankruptcy protection in December of 2019 after roughly a decade of financial losses, and its fortunes worsened after it grounded flights because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Efforts to rescue the state airline face resistance from trade unions, who are at loggerheads with the government over wages.
The administrators, who argue that pilots had “very extensive and lavish benefits” said the lockout will affect 383 pilots who are members of the SAA Pilots’ Association (SAAPA).
