Unions at SAA have warned that they only found out about the deal between government and an equity partner through the media despite their call for government to be transparent on the future of the airline.
This was after the announcement that Takatso consortium will get a 51% shareholding at SAA with government to be a minority shareholder.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and the SA Cabin Crew Association said on Friday government should have come clean on the matter.
“As unions we are finding out through the media about this equity partner. We have been asking since last year for DPE (the department of public enterprises) to be transparent about the process to appoint an equity partner for the sake of the future of SAA, but they refused to disclose,” said Numsa and Sacca in a statement.
“If we are to make a complete break with the past then transparency is a key factor in ensuring good governance and in ensuring that the same problems which brought down SAA are not repeated,” said Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola.
She said the workers had paid a huge price through the restructuring process.
This was after the business rescue process that led to 3 500 workers being let go.
The government had pumped in for the restructuring process.
Numsa and Sacca said workers had not been paid for months at SAA.
They said if SAA was to succeed they cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.