SA Express employees demand retrenchment packages as alternative to liquidation

While two unions, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) have supported the SA Express workers move to protest over salaries among other demands, the workers picketed outside the Public Enterprises headquarters on Monday demanding intervention from the department.

SA Express workers have organised a protest to demand that government step in to assist in ensuring that workers are compensated.

The airline is under provisional liquidation following a high court ruling in April, which has left several staffers out in the cold as most allegedly did not receive their salaries since the end of February. Employees were reported to have only received a R7,000-payout from the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s relief scheme during the national lockdown.

As a result, frustrated staffers reported to the public enterprises’ headquarters demanding the department also be placed under liquidation or respond in delaying the provisional liquidation of SA Express before a final order of liquidation is made. It is understood that the department of public enterprises has until Tuesday, to oppose the liquidation.

Following the high court ruling to place the airline under provisional liquidation, business rescue practitioners filed an urgent court application, which resulted in employees being told their salaries could not be paid due to the airlines’ financial woes.

The employees were at the enterprise department to submit their memorandum demanding that salaries be paid. Among their list of demands are that employees be retrenched and employment retrenchment packages be paid out, or for government to delay the liquidation process until staff have been retrenched, allowing salaries to be paid out through funding from government.

https://twitter.com/marvelstar14/status/1269914632082329600?s=20

The airline is part of a number of airlines in the sector in desperate need for government support.

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