Early Breakfast

South African Airways (SAA) has committed to increasing wages by 5.9%, backdated to April, which will be paid in February 2020 provided that there is funding.

SAA says the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African Airways Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) signed an agreement with the airline on Thursday.

The airline says the back payment for the first six months (April to September 2019) will be paid in the March 2020 payroll while the remaining four months (October 2019 to January 2020) back pay will be paid in the April 2020 payroll.

There are issues around working environment, issues around insourcing. All those will be addressed in this task team. They also said they are going to be facilitating disputes even after the negotiations, so if any workers have real challenges they can approach the CCMA with those concerns.

— Kgomotso Modise, Reporter - EWN

All the workers in Johannesburg seem to be ready to go back to work, some even from this evening.

— Kgomotso Modise, Reporter - EWN

Workers will also be paid in full for this month.

Click on the link below to hear the full report and the full details on the agreement....

SAA acting general manager for human resources Martin Kemp says if money is saved in the outcome of the task team's work, another 2.1% will be offered.

I have heard the trade unions talking about the 8% and I think what they referred to is because of the task team's work, there will be savings generated. So this is a self-funding situation. If enough savings is generated another 2.1% can possibly be funded.

— Mark Kemp, Acting general manager for human resources - SAA

Click on the link below to hear more from Kemp...