In an open letter, two representatives of the unions write that a strike “in this strained situation” risks not only putting the pilots’ employment at stake, but also other SAS employees.
“There must be a change. We all need to move in the same direction and work together to make SAS competitive again. Otherwise, none of us will soon have our jobs left in SAS, ”they write.
According to the unions, they have contributed to the company’s survival by accepting a poorer wage development and deteriorating conditions. They have reduced their workforce by 40 percent, “to survive”.
“During the same period, the pilots have instead gone on strike every two years on average, thus giving the company an increasingly worse starting position.”
“Pilots have better conditions”
They write that the pilots have better conditions, both in terms of re-employment rights and vacation days.
The unions also write that the pilots have better conditions than the union members, both in terms of re-employment rights and vacation days.
“The pilots’ opinion, that they are the ones who repeatedly saved the company, is therefore deeply provocative for many of our members, as it is a group of employees who in many ways seem to have far better conditions than other colleagues in the company.”
The strike is not just a betrayal of colleagues in SAS, they say.
“But also against loyal travelers who bought airline tickets from SAS. How do we regain that trust? ”
“SAS-Forward” a way forward
They write that they believe in the crisis plan “SAS Forward” as a way forward, and urge the pilots to do the same. They also have full confidence in the SAS management, they say.
“SAS Forward aims to modernize SAS and let the company live on. All of us employees need to take responsibility for bringing SAS to a position with a balance in income and expenses ”.
In the clip below, the Swedish Pilot Association comments on the strike announcement and the stranded negotiations with SAS.
SVT Nyheter is looking for the unions and SAS for a comment.