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Comair workers to picket at head office calling for removal of CEO

Ernest Mabuza Journalist
Numsa plans to picket outside Comair's office on Friday to demand the removal of its CEO Glenn Orsmond. Comair announced that Kulula.com and British Airways flights will not operate from Wednesday morning.
Numsa plans to picket outside Comair's office on Friday to demand the removal of its CEO Glenn Orsmond. Comair announced that Kulula.com and British Airways flights will not operate from Wednesday morning.
Image: Esa Alexander

Comair workers affiliated to  the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) intend to picket outside the offices of Comair in Kempton Park on Friday morning. 

The group is calling for the removal of CEO Glenn Orsmond and business rescue practitioner (BRP) Richard Ferguson. The union has accused the two men of failing to turn around the fortunes of the airline.

The airline, which operates Kulula and domestic British Airways flights, voluntarily grounded its operations from Wednesday on the basis that it has a cash flow crisis.

Numsa said the business rescue practitioner was appointed in May  2020 and the business rescue plan was approved in October the same year.

“But they are failing. Under their poor leadership the airline has had to deal with one crisis after another and their mismanagement has brought  the airline  to the point where its operations have been suspended — again,” Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said.

Numsa, which represents about 700 Comair employees, said it met the management team of Comair, including Orsmond, on Thursday to discuss the fate of the airline.

Numsa said it was shocked and surprised by the latest developments at Comair and its decision to suspend all of its operations.

“It is regrettable for us to report to our members that the meeting with the CEO left us with more questions than answers. Unfortunately, the meeting was very frustrating because the CEO was at times evasive or unwilling to respond directly to certain questions.”  

She said the union asked whether employees would be paid their salaries during the period of the suspension.

“Unfortunately management would not confirm, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in response to that question.”

She said the union also asked how long the suspension of operations would be in place.

“They could not say because it depends on whether the funding can be raised by the BRPs.”

Hlubi-Majola said  it was unfortunate that management chose to engage workers on such important issues without ensuring that business rescue practitioners were also present so that workers got all the answers.

“As Numsa we have repeatedly called for the immediate resignation of Glenn Orsmond as CEO of the company due to his complete incompetence and lack of vision. Under the poor leadership of Mr Orsmond and the BRPs the airline has gone from one crisis to another.”

TimesLIVE 


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