Comair ground staff, represented by the United Association of South Africa trade union, will strike from 16h40 today (Wednesday) “until the matter has been resolved”. 

In a statement, Comair said it had a comprehensive contingency plan in place to deal with the strike and intended to continue with its daily operations. 

“We encourage our customers to check in online or at the self-service kiosks at the airports and to drop their bags at the bag drop counter,” said Comair CEO Erik Venter. 

“We do have a back-up team who will assist our customers during the potential disruption, which could be caused as a result of the strike, and we will do our best to minimise the impact on our customers’ travel plans,” said Venter.

The trade union, which has a 58% membership in the airport unit, is requesting a 35% increase over three years, while Comair is offering an unconditional 7.5% increase for each of the three years.