PRESSMEDDELANDE

SAS pilot´s strike is ended

The SAS pilots have now reached a balanced agreement with SAS on a new collective labor agreement that gives both pilot job security, predictability and stable rostering. The agreement reached provided the basis for canceling the strikes in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

On Friday, April 26, the mediation between SAS pilots and SAS was broken, resulting in all 1409 pilots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark being on strike. The parties again met for voluntary mediation with the National Mediator on Wednesday, May 1. After restarted mediation for more than 30 hours, an agreement has now been reached on a new three-year collective labor agreement (CLA).

- The last 24 hours have been hugely demanding, and we have been close to giving up. But after putting considerable pressure on our employer, we have now succeeded in reaching a balanced agreement ending this strike, says Captain René Arpe, head of the Danish Pilot Association

- It has been a very complex and difficult negotiation process since March 11, which, after unsuccessful mediation, unfortunately ended in strikes. We really tried our utmost to avoid conflict, and are obviously very sorry for the pain this strike has caused to both our passengers, our colleagues and to other professions within our industry, says Arpe.

The new Collective labor agreement addresses necessary job security and more predictable and stable rostering
Just before the start of these negotiations, SAS unilaterally terminated two vital agreements regulating both pilot employment security (scope clause) and seniority. This caused our pilots to fear for their future in SAS. The new CLA, reached today reinstates these agreements and are now as part of the collective labor agreement itself.

- The most important thing for us has been to ensure our members job security. We have today succeeded with this important task. We have also reached an agreement giving more stable rostering and predictable working days. The proportion of pilots in the group working 5 days on 4 days off is also increased from 40% to 60%, says Arpe

The agreement also gives a wage increase of 3.5 per cent in 2019, 3 per cent in 2020 and 4 per cent in 2021. We have throughout these negotiations addressed that the SAS pilots are lagging behind compensation levels compared to pilot colleagues in European competitor airlines. It has therefore been an ambition to close some of this gap. The most important task however has been secure job protection, agree on a balanced and fair seniority system and regulate a stable rostering system. The agreement signed today makes SAS an airline providing with stable and secure jobs for its Scandinavian pilots.

SAS Pilot Group´s strategy succeed and gave joint negotiations across three Scandinavian Countries
SAS has since start of negotiations tried hard to obstruct joint and unified Scandinavian pilot associations from negotiating this agreement as one team. A well thought through strategy from the SAS Pilot Group (SPG) the SAS pilots have stood fast demanding joint negotiations.

- The importance of being unified in both negotiations and mediations across three national borders has been crucial for us to achieve todays agreed results for our pilots.
This would however not have been possible without the resolve from our striking pilot in all three countries combined with overwhelming support from the general public and organized labor including more than 120 000 pilots from all over the world says Arpe.

- the totality of the agreement reached today means we will be able to recommend this agreement to our members, concludes Captain Arpe, Chairman and responsible for the SAS Pilot Group Master Executive Council.

Press contacts

Denmark
René Arpe, Head of Danish Pilot Association and Chairman of SAS Pilot Group,
Tel.: +45 41774174

Norway
Katinka Riksfjord Sporsem, Secretary General, Norwegian Cockpit Association. Tel.: +47 920 55 311. E-post: katinka@flyger.no

Sweden
Wilhelm Tersmeden, Head of Swedish Pilot Association, Tel.: +46 70997 2886


The SAS Pilot Group consists of the Danish Pilot Association, the Norwegian SAS Flyers’ Association, the Scandinavian Norway Flygerforening and the Swedish Pilot Association. SAS Pilot Group organizes 95% of all SAS pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. www.saspilotgroup.com

Publicerad 2019-05-03 av SPF