FlySafair grounded as pilots strike

FlySafair was forced to cancel 8% of its scheduled flights yesterday after the pay wrangle with the majority of its pilots saw them go on strike as the company implemented a lock-out.

- Jarryd Westerdale & Faizel Patel

Wage negotiations stalled last week and the airline made it public that their captains are among the nation's highest earners.

Solidarity, the union representing the pilots, set the desired wage increase at 10.5% plus additional benefits, but FlySafair said the increase amounted to "an unsustainable escalation".

FlySafair on Sunday reiterated that it had tabled a 5.7% increase, accompanied by additional benefits and a bonus.

The airline said that Solidarity's demands amounted to a 20% increase in the overall cost to the company and that their current position takes into consideration the effect the increase would have on the airline's other 1,700 employees.