– There has been some progress throughout the day, but there are quite a few questions that must be in place before we have a solution, says national mediator Mats Ruland to news tonight. National mediator Mats Ruland during a break during the mediation. Photo: Lokman Ghorbani / news He is one of six brokers who are in Stockholm to try to resolve the tangle between pilots from three countries and the company’s management. The deadline to agree expires at midnight. Earlier this afternoon, Roger Klokset, the leader of the Norwegian SAS Pilots’ Association (NSF), was in combat mode. – We can not live with working in a company that does not behave and that does not follow ethical guidelines and standards for how to do things in Scandinavia, he says to news. Roger Klokset met news before the mediation in Stockholm went into its decisive hours. Photo: Lokman Ghorbani / news A central theme in the mediation is the noise surrounding the subsidiaries SAS Link and SAS Connect. The pilots’ associations claim that SAS is destroying the “Scandinavian model” by hiring pilots for lower wages in subsidiaries and then letting these pilots fly SAS routes. The SAS management, for their part, claims that the pilots are trying to gain a veto over the management of the company. – It is incredibly important that we find a solution, and it can only be found at the negotiating table. We therefore put all our hope in that there will not be a conflict, says communications director Karin Nyman during a break in the mediation tonight. Strike could hit SAS hard The dispute has caused four pilot associations to threaten a strike for all of its 900 pilots. In that case, it will threaten to overthrow a hard-pressed airline. Analysts have estimated that a strike will cost SAS NOK 80-100 million a day. The wise man is aware that in the event of a strike, the pilots are putting their own jobs at risk. – Absolutely, and the SAS management must take it upon themselves. We are not sacrificing the Scandinavian model to save a company, not even SAS, says Klokset. The Danish trade union FPU is strongly critical of the threat of a strike. Klokset claims that working conditions in the industry are more important than the company SAS: – The job security of my members is no longer linked to SAS as a company as SAS operates today. It is linked to their experience and competence and that people will have to fly from A to B in Scandinavia in the future as well, he says. Will affect thousands of passengers Queue: The picture is from when there was a strike in SAS 2019. There were quickly queues of frustrated passengers. The four pilot associations in Norway, Sweden and Denmark negotiate together as SAS Pilot Group (SPG). Should around 900 SAS pilots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark go on strike, it will affect large parts of the company’s traffic. According to NTB, three out of four SAS departures from Gardermoen tomorrow will probably be canceled. Around 45,000 passengers will be affected, writes E24. – I think a lot about the passengers who are affected at the beginning of the first real summer holiday in three years. We think it is extremely despairing that the SAS management has put us in this situation, and we want nothing more than a solution without conflict, says Klokset. In Norway, the Norwegian Pilots’ Association has submitted a resignation for 254 pilots, while Parat has announced a resignation for 148 pilots. These can be taken out on strike from the first day if no agreement is reached. A strike will also hit SAS financially at a time when the company is struggling to survive. Earlier today, the Norwegian government refused to enter SAS with fresh money. Offers rebooking Last week, SAS sent out a message to its customers, offering free rebooking to customers who have a flight after Wednesday 29 June. A new air strike could lead to further pressure for those going on summer holidays in Europe. Many airports are already affected by the chaos. This applies in particular to the major hubs such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Brussels, Paris and London. This can continue throughout the summer, according to NTB. The main challenge for the airports has been the lack of staff to handle luggage and passengers. In addition, there is also a danger of strikes among other airlines. You are entitled to this in the event of an air strike * Reimburse the ticket cost for the part of the trip that you are not allowed to use. * Rebook so that you arrive at your destination as soon as possible. * Rebook you at a later time according to your wishes, on similar terms as the original ticket. This is how much you are entitled to in compensation: * 250 euros for all flights up to 1500 km * 400 euros for all flights within the EEA of more than 1500 km and for all other flights of between 1500 and 3500 km. * 600 euros for all other flights The compensation can be reduced by 50 percent when you are offered a seat on another flight to the destination, and the arrival time does not exceed the original flight that was booked, by more than * 2 hours for flights up to 1500 km * 3 hours for flights within the EEA of more than 1500 km and for all other flights of between 1500 and 3500 km * 4 hours for all other flights Have you suffered financial loss: Have you had documented financial loss that is greater than the standardized compensation, you can also claim compensation for this. This assumes that the reason for the cancellation is within the airline’s control. In addition, the financial loss incurred must be a probable consequence of the suspension. Source: The Consumer Council Redundancy notice In Norway, a conditional redundancy notice has been sent to all SAS employees. As far as news is aware, the airline warns that all of the employees in Norway may be laid off. – In the event of a strike, the company will make specific assessments of any layoffs, in line with the effects a possible strike will have, wrote press officer at SAS, Tonje Sund, in an e-mail to news last week. ASSESSMENTS: If there is a strike at midnight, SAS’s press manager, Tonje Sund, recommends that passengers check the status of the flight via the website or in the app. Demands the jobs back In addition to the heated mediation, SAS pilots have also sued the company for labor law. During the pandemic, 560 SAS pilots lost their jobs. The pilot associations believe that they are entitled to get their jobs back when the need arises. Instead, the dismissed pilots had to apply for jobs again in the subsidiaries SAS Link and SAS Connect. They demand that around 450 pilots, who were laid off during the pandemic, get their jobs back.
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No strike in SAS from Wednesday – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
