South African Airways, NTM union sign wage deal

An SAA aircraft takes to the airway the runway at the OR Tambo International Airport in this file photo.
An SAA aircraft takes to the airway the runway at the OR Tambo International Airport in this file photo.
Image: SAA

National Transport Movement (NTM) on Friday signed a wage deal with struggling SAA for a 5.9% pay rise for the 2019/20 financial year that started in April, according to a copy of the deal seen by Reuters.

NTM is one of the largest unions at state-owned SAA, but its members are not participating in a crippling strike that entered an eighth day on Friday and has left the airline with almost no cash.

NTM president Mashudu Raphetha told Reuters that the wage deal was subject to SAA securing additional funds and that the salary increase would start from February 2020. NTM members would receive back payments in March and April 2020, he added.