Executives say the restructuring and the retrenchments have also severely affected them. But only about 21% of 104 people in managerial positions have been retrenched
Kate Makhaga, 43, a senior technician who now works as a shop steward for the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa at South African Airways Technical , had an ecstatic experience in 2004 when she first fixed an aircraft. “I cannot even explain the feeling,” Makhaga says. “I felt like I am [Albert] Einstein. I was crying, not because I am scared, but because for me as someone who grew up in a village this was the best feeling ever.
Corruption, bad decision-making, problems in billing and procurement, wasteful expenditure, and excessive penalties incurred because of delays have all long plagued SAAT, way before the pandemic hit – as is corroborated by forensic auditing firm Open Water Advanced Risk Solutions , the Zondo Commission and other enquiries.Most of the people who have made decisions that have taken the place down still occupy those positions.
Makhaga has had to give fellow workers and family members moral support in cases like these. She and other workers who chose to bear the added burden of occupying representative roles have endured their own battles. As one worker says, “As a shop steward, you’re going to be the first one on the line.” This is the price of fighting for better conditions.
“I have been strong enough … The doctor complained that I am not dealing with things properly. My immune system is just tired and one day it’ll just collapse.” The workers who endured a series of devastating salary cuts until they were retrenched represent one side of the equation. The other is those who opted to take a voluntary severance package during the retrenchment process. But before the retrenchments ensued, there were those who were “forced” to resign “because of the unbearable working conditions”.
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