“There can be absolutely no special deal between the bankrupt SAA and the UIF in order for the national carrier to get access to the UIF’s coffers. These funds are held by the UIF on behalf of the hard-working employees and employers of South Africa, who have diligently put these monies aside,” said Lees.
“If there is a surplus in the UIF, it must be returned to its owners — the employees and employers who contribute to the fund. It cannot be used to bail out a bankrupt SAA and subsidise the maladministration and looting that has taken place.
“While we sympathise with the hard-working employees at SAA, we simply cannot condone this clear attempt to gift the collapsed SAA with another bailout by stealth.”
The business rescue practitioners noted, in their letter to the DA, that “at this stage, no agreement whatsoever has been concluded with the UIF to make any funds available for the retrenchments of SAA employees”.
Business rescue practitioners in talks with UIF over cash-strapped SAA
Image: 123RF/Andrey Armyagov
SAA's business rescue practitioners have confirmed having talks with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) “to seek out solutions to alleviating financial challenges to both [SAA] and its employees”.
Business rescue practitioners Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana confirmed the move in response to a query from the DA for clarity on whether they intended to obtain UIF funding to pay retrenched staff packages that would be due to them from the national carrier.
DA MP Alf Lees said in a statement on Wednesday that the party believed the discussions were “out of order” and the UIF should have shown the business rescue practitioners the door.
Unions welcome R3.5bn loan to SAA, but want swift action on embattled airline
“There can be absolutely no special deal between the bankrupt SAA and the UIF in order for the national carrier to get access to the UIF’s coffers. These funds are held by the UIF on behalf of the hard-working employees and employers of South Africa, who have diligently put these monies aside,” said Lees.
“If there is a surplus in the UIF, it must be returned to its owners — the employees and employers who contribute to the fund. It cannot be used to bail out a bankrupt SAA and subsidise the maladministration and looting that has taken place.
“While we sympathise with the hard-working employees at SAA, we simply cannot condone this clear attempt to gift the collapsed SAA with another bailout by stealth.”
The business rescue practitioners noted, in their letter to the DA, that “at this stage, no agreement whatsoever has been concluded with the UIF to make any funds available for the retrenchments of SAA employees”.
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