Numsa to picket outside Comair office to demand removal of CEO

While Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu has expressed concern over the grounding of all Comair flights indefinitely, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has announced that it will stage a picket outside the carrier’s office demanding the removal of CEO Glenn Orsmond.

At the weekend, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) announced the suspension of Comair’s Air Operation Certificate (AOC) as a result of a number of incident-related occurrences, and later said that it was suspending it indefinitely.

This has left thousands of passengers stranded.

Sisulu said the timing of this was concerning for the tourism sector after turbulent times the sector has been through in the recent past.

“This comes at a bad time as families are preparing for school holidays and holidaymakers are planning for Easter holiday getaways,” said Susulu.

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“However, our main concern is the effect this will have on greater tourism and the entire hospitality value chain, but not at the expense of air travel safety… the tourism industry cannot afford any further discouragements,” said Sisulu.

Meanwhile, Numsa has demanded that Comair CEO Glenn Orsmond be freed from his role following the suspension of its operating licence at the weekend.

“Osmond’s drastic cost cutting measures have created an over-worked and poorly paid workforce, and as a result the safety standards have also been compromised,” said the union in a statement.

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“If Orsmond is allowed to continue in his role there will be no airline left to defend and at least 1300 workers will lose their jobs. We demand his removal so that the airline has a chance of survival.

“We demand that the board must appoint someone who has a clear strategy to turn the airline around in the long term, and who can intervene decisively to improve safety and reassure the SACAA to restore the airlines operating licence.”

Comair operates budget airline Kulula.com and the local British Airways.

Sisulu has since urged both Comair and Sacaa to find common ground and also raised concern at the increase in airfares on domestic routes following the SACAA announcement.