Satawu press statement on nationwide liquidation process 08-05-08

 

SATAWU PRESS STATEMENT ON NATIONWIDE LIQUIDATION PROCESS

Released 8 May 2008

Satawu representing about forty workers at Nationwide, places the blame squarely at the door of an arrogant management team led by CEO, Bricknell who have proven themselves incapable of managing an airline and keeping workers in employment. Our experience of Nationwide management is that it had great qualifications in union bashing when Satawu went on strike for organisational rights two years ago with a much higher claimed paid up membership. This arrogance was further demonstrated when they simply "shut the engines" on their employees without having the decency to communicate to its workers who are breadwinners with obligations to their families. There is no place in South Africa for such arrogant and insensitive employers but it is indicative of an attitude in the aviation industry like Equity Aviation Services.

Satawu in appointing liquidators to represent the interests of its members will pursue two objectives. The first being that workers receive all their outstanding salaries and benefits due to them as they are defined as preferential creditors in terms of the Insolvency Act. The second and more important, given the unemployment crises, is to secure new buyers to take over the business as a going concern in terms of section 197 of the LRA. Should this objective be achieved all jobs can be saved and conditions of employment continued.

Satawu has mandated its liquidators to demand that the current executive management team led by Bricknell should be excluded from any new ownership deal and management positions.

Satawu statement released on 8 May 2008. Please contact the general secretary @ 082 5646 298 or Kenneth Monnana @ 082 4741 605