Involve Jarana in business rescue process or face legal action: Numsa to SAA

The National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa) has threatened South African Airways (SAA) with further legal action unless they involve former Chief Executive Officer Vuyani Jarana in the business rescue process in order to save workers’ jobs at the national carrier.

Numsa will also be lodging an urgent interdict to have government’s voluntary business rescue of SAA set aside because, they say, it is unlawful.

The union, along with the Cabin Crew Association, says the only business plan that makes sense is that put forward by trade union, Solidarity.

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Numsa Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola says the business rescue process is a ploy by government to get the airline liquidated and sold cheap.

“We’ve noted that they’ve gone ahead. They’ve rushed this process. They’ve even gone and appointed their own business practitioner without even consulting or speaking to labour. Our compromise would be that in this process, Vuyani Jarana, must be consulted and must form an integral part of this business rescue. If their goal as they are claiming is to turn around the airline and to save it then they should have no problem with agreeing to these terms. As workers and as labour, we cannot accept liquidation because it means everybody loses; it means all jobs are lost. We are in a situation in our country where we got 38.5% unemployment.”