Mango airline flight crew will go on strike from 5am on Monday after negotiations collapsed, trade union Solidarity has confirmed.
Solidarity represent 95 percent of the pilots at Mango airline. Solidarity met Mango's management on Sunday to try to reach a possible settlement in salary negotiations on behalf of its members, which include flight captains and first officers, Solidarity deputy general secretary Deon Reyneke said on Sunday night.
“Notwithstanding the reality that Mango pilots are paid significantly less than the industry standard, management showed no interest whatsoever to negotiate with its employees," he said.
"Mango’s management would not give an inch, confirming that it would not revisit its initial offer of six percent, while the trade union was prepared to adjust its mandate in a bid to let negotiations succeed,” Reyneke said.
Although Solidarity had given management four days’ notice of the intended strike – a period longer than the required notice period – management was initially not even inclined to meet Solidarity.
“Despite the fact that Solidarity has been prepared to actively participate in the negotiating process all along, it took the efforts of a senior captain to persuade management to meet with the trade union at all,” he said.
“It once again would appear as if Mango’s management is not committed to accommodate its qualified employees as far as salary increases, which are below market value, are concerned.
"Mango has therefore left Solidarity members with no other choice but to take the undesirable step of a strike,” Reyneke said.