Escalating South African Airways strike to test Ramaphosa

Labour unions are threatening to bring air travel in South Africa to a standstill as they test the govt’s resolve to stabilise the loss-making national carrier. Two labour unions representing more than 3,000 workers at South African Airways have been on strike since Nov 15 after the airline rejected their demand for 8% raises and announced plans to cut 944 posts, forcing the cancellation of most flights. Now the National Union of Metalworkers is engaging its members at other airlines and companies that service the industry on whether they should stage sympathy strikes. The govt’s approach to ending the standoff could indicate how president Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration will tackle the thorny issue of reducing bloated wage bills at other state-owned companies. <br/>