Retrenching 538 highly qualified Denel (AMG)/SAAF employees a futile exercise
The retrenchment of 538 Denel employees as of 14 February 2013, confirmed by Major Gen Mbambo (Acting Chief of the Air Force) from the South Africa Air Force earlier this week, will without a doubt jeopardise the South African Air Force's defence capabilities.
Without the specialised technical services provided by these employees, who are in the employ of AMG (Aero Manpower Group), a business unit of Denel Aviation, the SAAF may soon experience serious capacity problems.
Denel CEO, Mr. Riaz Saloojee, and his team discussed and proposed several workable solutions to assist the SAAF, but to no avail. Intervention requested from the Departments of Defence, Public Enterprises and even government ministers prvoed fruitless.
UASA finds this whole exercise a futile one. Not only will someone have to foot the bill for the approximate R170 million that will have to be paid out in terms of severance packages, but should the SAAF decide to employ some of these highly skilled employees, they will of course have to remunerate them!
The possibility of individual re-contracting is slim since not only the trust relationship between the employees and the SAAF has suffered a complete breakdown, but they will be easily absorbed by other aircraft institutions, both locally and internationally. Highly skilled employees with many years of practical experience in the field of aircraft maintenance, radio/radar, electronics and engineers are sought after.