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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is delighted with the success of our application to have various maintenance services in the aviation sector designated as “essential services”.

The application was given the green light by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)’s Essential Services Committee (ESC) earlier this week.

The DA prioritises the safety and security of South Africans, and this decision is a victory for all air travelers who want to be assured of their safety. It is also the first time the DA has succeeded in having such an application approved.

In November last year, the DA wrote to the ESC, asking for certain aviation industry services to be declared essential. Employees engaged in essential services are prohibited from exercising their constitutional right to strike. Section 213 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995,  defines an essential service as one which, if interrupted, would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole or any part of the population.

The ESC considered our request and concluded that it was reasonable. The committee has now designated the following services as essential services and directed all parties who render such services to negotiate and conclude minimum service agreements:

• Aircraft maintenance services;
• Civil, electrical, surface and mechanical maintenance on airside roads, runways, taxiways and aprons; and
• Maintenance services rendered at jet fuel 1 and fuel systems.

The DA’s original call followed reckless statements by the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA), whose members had embarked on strike action against South African Airways (SAA). At the time, the trade union’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, warned passengers not to fly on SAA, threatening them that their safety could not be guaranteed and that they were “putting their lives at risk”.

In a separate submission, the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) contended that if airside roads, runways, taxiways and aprons were not maintained this could lead to fatal accidents.

The DA is pleased that our arguments found favour with the ESC and welcomes the committee’s designation. Hopefully, the decision will also send a loud and clear message to NUMSA, which held SAA and the country’s air travelers to ransom for too long.

Issued by DA