Following the much vaunted increase on fuel, next is the troubled South African Airways that plans to shed over 1000 to 1500 jobs.
This was confirmed by the CE Vuyani Jarana, who indicated: “SAA cannot carry the same workforce‚ whether it is pilots‚ cabin crew or administration‚” he said. “We have to make some tough decisions to save the airline. There cannot be sacred cows when it comes to SAA.”
Six months into the job Jarana, faces a tough decision of implementing austerity measures to safe the loss making airline.
Earlier this year, we reported the airline had asked for Government bail-out.
Sources within SAA indicated the job shedding would be in the region of 1000 to 1500 via a combination of layoffs and voluntary redundancies to bring its employee-per-aircraft ratio in line with regional competitors.
300 flight attendants‚ according to Sowetanlive, would be affected.
On Monday‚ SAA catering subsidiary Air Chefs announced it planned to retrench 118 workers in what could be the start of a more profound restructure of the airline’s entire workforce.
Dudu Myeni, former SAA board chairperson has been blamed for running down the airline and failing to meet the targets and break-even, amongst others.
Unions representing workers were not available for comments at the time of publishing.
Meanwhile, Jarana a former Vodacom executive has pledged R100 000 to a charity of choice that within three-years’ his airline turn-around strategy would have been achieved; after being challenged by Free Market Foundation executive director Leon Louw to pay R100‚000 should it fail.
