– It is strange to be back again, says former SAS pilot Anders Eckermann Eikeland. Today he works in the newly established airline Norse Atlantic Airways. Eikeland had worked for SAS since 2016. He is one of the more than 500 SAS pilots who were put on the ground during the pandemic. At the time, he was told that he would return to work when air traffic returned to normal, but if SAS calls today, he would not take the job back. – Thanks, but no thanks. STRIKE: Gardermoen 4 July. 30,000 passengers will be affected daily by the strike, according to SAS. Photo: Mathias Moene Rød / news The ladder game A total of around 900 pilots, from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, have gone on strike. In Norway, the Norwegian Pilots’ Association has provided space for 254 pilots, while Parat has delivered for 148. The core of the conflict between employer SAS and the pilots is the establishment of two subsidiaries. They were created at the same time as 560 pilots lost their jobs. Of the pilots in the main company who lost their jobs during the pandemic, about 100 have regained it. The others do not, despite the fact that according to the union they had an agreement on re-employment According to the SAS pilots, the pilots in the newly established companies do the same job as those who were fired. This is the conflict SAS and their pilots do not agree on pay. The core of the conflict is the creation of two staffing companies. During the pandemic, around 560 pilots lost their jobs. At the same time, SAS established two subsidiaries. They were named SAS Link and SAS Connect. These will take over aircraft and be filled with new pilots. The SAS pilots who were laid off during the pandemic will have their job back. They say SAS is trying to circumvent its obligations to bring the dismissed pilots back. SAS rejects this. They believe the company takes into account all agreements entered into. According to the pilot association, the pilots have agreed to savings measures that amount to 25 percent savings. In return, they will have an assurance that it is their members who get the new jobs that will be filled in SAS Link and SAS Connect. Eikeland calls what SAS is doing a ladder game. – When you work in a company for many years, only to be told that they do not need you. You have to apply again, start again with completely new terms. If this is repeated enough times, then it is a ladder game, says Eikeland. He thinks it is obvious that one should be offered to get the old job back. – But the SAS pilots must also do their part for SAS to be able to continue flying? – Yes, that’s right. I understand that they have done the same. The pilots have offered competitive terms back. CONTRIBUTE: Director of SAS Norway Kjetil Håbjørg believes everyone must contribute to find a solution to the conflict. Photo: SAS Necessary restructuring SAS, for its part, says it is necessary to restructure the company. There will be fewer business travelers and thus SAS says they must build a new company for the leisure market, called SAS Connect. – The new companies will reflect the new market. It is important to bear in mind that wages and working conditions are defined by the market, both employees and employers must be aware of this, says director of SAS Norway Kjetil Håbjørg. He says it is important for SAS to create a profitable and sustainable future. SAS must have agreements that are adapted to a new market, so that investors will invest in the company, according to Håbjørg. – The management must also contribute with cuts, and this applies to the entire company. I am concerned that everyone should contribute, says the director. He says SAS is looking with lights and lanterns for ways to move forward. – Everyone is very pressured in this conflict. Yesterday, the SAS pilots made an exception from the strike to pick up stranded charter tourists abroad. The exception applies where there are no other options for getting home.
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Former SAS pilot does not want his job back – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
