Engineering News

The South African trade union Solidarity reported on Wednesday that Denel Aviation is to conclude a new contract with the South African Air Force (SAAF) regarding aircraft maintenance services provided by the State-owned company’s Denel Personnel Solutions/Aero Manpower Group (DPS/AMG). The union claimed that only between 100 and 150 out of AMG’s current employees would retain their jobs under the new contract.

“We will know between late tonight or early tomorrow morning exactly how many of the 523 aircraft specialists will be included in the new 12-month contract,” stated Solidarity spokesperson Jack Loggenberg. “Those employees will then remain in Denel’s employ and the air force would be in breach of Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act should it now directly employ the employees.”

Those workers not covered by the new contract will be retrenched, as the current contract ends on March 31. “Solidarity will continue its efforts to have the remaining employees redeployed within Denel or other companies,” he affirmed. “However, the chances are very slim.” The union represents 227 of the current AMG workforce.

Denel Aviation is an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company and is part of the Denel defence industrial group. DPS has provided skilled maintenance personnel to the SAAF under the AMG contract since 1986. It has people deployed at air bases and squadrons across the country, including Bredasdorp, Hoedspruit, Langebaanweg, Lephalale, Makhado and Ysterplaat, with the biggest concentration (some 40% of the total)  being in Pretoria.

That the SAAF intended ending its contract with Denel Aviation first emerged in June last year, with notice being given to that effect. This was followed by talks on the possibility of amending and reviewing the contract. But in November the SAAF confirmed in a letter that it would not be renewing the contract this year.

Solidarity has warned that it will oppose any attempts to use the drawing-up of the new contract to discriminate against older and white workers. “No discrimination will be tolerated,” asserted Loggenberg. “It is, however, not true that most of the technicians are 60 and older. Many of them are indeed older than 50, with only a few being 60 or older. The contract’s term will be used to facilitate a smooth transition. The transition aims to establish in-house expertise.”