TAAG reaches an agreement with its pilots who suspend their strike
For several days, the activities of TAAG Angola Airlines were paralysed by a strike of its pilots. It was scheduled to last until 16 October.
The pilots of TAAG Angola Airlines have resumed their activities. They suspended their strike on Tuesday 11 October 2022, after the Airline Pilots Union (SPLA) reached an agreement with their employer, the carrier announced. From now on, it is working on the global rescheduling of flights (national and international) "to satisfy passengers". "This process may take between 2 and 5 days", warns the Angolan public flagship.
The company's pilots have been on strike since 7 October. In an earlier communication, the company indicated that the demands made by the SPLA concerned the pilots' pay and benefits. However, for the management "it is not possible to proceed with salary increases of the size requested without negatively impacting and jeopardising the survival of the company".
For the president of the SPLA, Miguel Prata, "the pilots' strike is not limited, as is maliciously propagated, to the wage claim, but to the relevant questions of the sovereignty of the country and the company". Eight points of demand have been put on the table for this purpose. These also cover the defence of the company's colours and historic logo, the defence of jobs and the protection of the carrier's assets.
During the five-day strike, TAAG has put in place a contingency plan to minimise the disruption to its operations. "In addition to the fact that all its pilots are now available, the aircraft -temporarily- hired to meet TAAG's contingency plan will continue to operate to accommodate passenger travel plans and the rapid return to normal levels of flight availability, particularly to serve the busiest routes," it promises.
Otherwise, the tone from the administration is now one of appeasement. "TAAG remains firmly committed to improving the working conditions of its employees to ensure continuity and excellence in operations, careful attention to customers and passengers, and the sustainability of the company's growth plan that we have been implementing since this board took office," said Ana Major, the chairwoman of its board.
