Photo by: Bloomberg
Trade union Solidarity has signed a “favourable” three-year wage agreement for all cabin crew with airline Comair, bringing an end to the lingering wage dispute.
The trade union had demanded an almost 13% increase for its 210 cabin crew members at Comair, but the airline had offered either an increase of 7.5% on their total cost package, or an increase of 8% on condition that overtime would only be calculated after 125 hours a month.
The signed wage agreement set out an overall increase of 8% in the first year and a 7.5% increase in the second and third years.
The agreement was reached about a month after the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, under Section 150 of the Labour Relations Act, had approached the parties to resolve their dispute.
“The agreement creates a good balance between the needs of the employees and the employer.
“Further, the agreement will help to repair the strained relationship between the employer and the employees that hampered this year’s wage negotiations,” Solidarity professional industry head Johan Botha said.
The wage agreement would be implemented, retrospectively, from January 1.