Following Comair’s suspension of operations, the Competition Commission met with other airlines. Photo: Alex Rankin / Flickr
Comair latest: NUMSA and management to discuss airline’s fate
NUMSA continues to call for the resignation of Comair CEO, Glen Orsmond and the airline’s Business Rescue Practitioner, Richard Ferguson.
Following Comair’s suspension of operations, the Competition Commission met with other airlines. Photo: Alex Rankin / Flickr
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is set to meet with the management team of Comair including the CEO Glenn Orsmond and the company’s Business Rescue Practitioner, Richard Ferguson on Tuesday to discuss the fate of the airline, and to get feedback on the progress of securing a funder.
Last week, Comair which controls Kulula.com and British Airways flights voluntarily grounded its flights and said it cannot afford to fly. NUMSA claimed Comair management would not confirm or deny whether employees would be paid their salaries during the period of suspension. Comair would also not divulge how much money it needs to be financially stable and how long it would take to resume operations.
NUMSA AND COMAIR TO DISCUSS AIRLINE’S FATE
NUMSA has roughly 700 Comair employees out of approximately 1200.
The union said their members are concerned about their future as rumours of Comair’s possible liquidation are circulating, but management is not giving direction or information in this regard.
The management cited high fuel prices and the Omicron related lockdown as part of the reason for its financial distress.
NUMSA spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said they have disputed this as other airlines are operating in the same environment as Comair but are doing so efficiently and profitably.
“We believe that at the core of Comair’s problems is the CEO himself together with the BRP and their poor management of the airline. We have finally secured a meeting with them and management, at Comair’s Airline offices.
“We continue to call for the immediate resignation of Glenn Orsmond the CEO and an immediate end of the business rescue process, which is only enriching the practitioner’s personal bank balances by making him richer at our expense.”
Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
UNION CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF CEO
In March this year when Comair flights were grounded NUMSA said Glenn Orsmond does not have a vision to turn the organisation around and this is contributing to the crisis.
The union said they have expressed our lack of confidence in the current leadership led by the CEO who has a track record of closing down airlines in the past.
ALSO READ: Comair suspension: NUMSA calls for resignation of CEO, Glen Orsmond
