DPE Calls On Unions At SAA To Come Up With Solutions To Save Airline

The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) is calling on the majority unions at the South African Airways (SAA) to come up with a solution to save the airline.

This comes after a meeting on Friday where the department indicated its decision to withdraw from the leadership consultative forum established to find the best way to restructure SAA.

The department said that it had done everything it could to secure the best packages for workers facing retrenchments at SAA.

The Public Enterprises Department said it had made it clear to unions that the R2.2 billion it had budgeted for voluntary severance packages for laid-off workers was the best it could offer with the resources it had.

Deputy director-general Melanchthon Makobe said: “The department would like to urge union leaders and employees to accept the voluntary severance packages of SAA that is aimed at equipping individuals to enter the job market.”

Makobe said that they were pleading with unions to come up with a way to save the airline but won’t be burdened with unsustainable demands.

The three main unions are against the restructuring process which might see over 3,000 workers retrenched.

EWN