Court dismisses bid to halt SAA job cuts as airline has not ‘contemplated dismissals’

The Johannesburg Labour Court has dismissed a joint urgent application by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and the South African Cabin Crew Association to halt job cuts at South African Airways (SAA), ruling the airline had not contemplated dismissals.  The unions lodged the interdict earlier in the week in a bid to prevent the flag carrier’s business rescue practitioners (BRP) from proceeding with they said were “accelerated retrenchment” processes for employees that they said did not follow the correct legal channels. The unions wanted the court to compel the airline to engage with them via provisions in the Labour Relations Act (LRA). Evidence was heard on Thursday.