Strike ends at South African Airways after court ruling

JOHANNESBURG – South African Airways says cabin crewmembers whose strike forced some flight cancellations have returned to work after a court order.

The financially struggling airline said Thursday that it hopes for a negotiated solution to the dispute with the South African Cabin Crew Association, a labour union whose members went on strike Wednesday to demand higher meal allowances when working outside South Africa.

The airline says 50 flights, including 28 domestic ones, were cancelled Wednesday. Later that day, a labour court ruled that the strike was not allowed under terms of the crewmembers’ contracts.

Currently, cabin crewmembers get a meal allowance of $130 per trip. They wanted $170, arguing that the allowance had not increased in half a dozen years and that they stay in international hotels where food is expensive.