Wage talks at South African Airways (SAA) are headed towards mediation‚ while the airline on Thursday moved to distance itself from perceptions it had sufficient cash to meet high wage demands.

United Association of SA (Uasa) sector manager Willie van Eeden said on Thursday that unions were currently awaiting a date for talks under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). Wage demands remained unchanged‚ he said.

On Tuesday‚ unions in wage negotiations with SAA said they had revised upwards their wage demands from single digits to 11%‚ after the airline’s board chair Dudu Myeni said on Friday SAA was financially sound and “had money“.

Earlier‚ Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan had said that SAA would not be granted any further government guarantees until a new board and management were appointed. SAA needs this guarantee to sign off on its financial statements for 2014-15.

SAA on Thursday denied there was a wage deadlock during negotiations‚ saying Ms Myeni’s comments had been limited to the extent to which the airline could continue to operate without reliance on the state.

“Comments made that SAA ‘has money’ did not imply that the airline has now become profitable‚” the statement read.

Uasa‚ the National Transport Movement (NTM)‚ the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) and National Union of Metal Workers Association (NUMSA) have been bargaining since the beginning of April‚ Mr van Eeden said. — With Andiswa Maqutu