How much are SAS pilots actually paid?
Details of the extent of the dispute between Scandinavian airline SAS and its striking Swedish pilots have emerged, with the two parties apparently unable to agree on how much the lowest-paid pilots earn.
The Swedish pilots’ union claims that its lowest-earning members are paid 29,000 kronor ($3,503) a month by SAS, but the airline disagrees with those numbers, citing different figures in response.
“I’ve never seen anything about that. I believe the entry level salary is around 36,000 kronor ($4,349) a month,” SAS spokesperson Fredrik Henriksson told news agency TT. He added that a variety of daily allowances can also impact the figure.
According to Henriksson, the average salary among 1,300 SAS pilots is 78,000 kronor ($9,424) a month, while the highest earners make 96,000 kronor ($11,599) a month. The Swedish pilots’ union has a different view, however.
“Once you become a commander you get a wage increase of around 30 percent. The final wage after 30 years of service is 92,000 kronor ($11,116) per month,” union chairman Martin Lindgren told TT. “That’s a level which takes a long time to reach, and is only attained after many years,” he added.
Swedish SAS pilots went on strike at 6pm last Friday after rejecting a mediator's proposal of a 2.2 percent wage increase, insisting instead on a 3.5 percent raise. Further negotiations on Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful.
Discussions between the union and the airline stalled again on Monday. That ensured a fourth day of strike action, leaving the majority of the airline’s domestic and European flights from Sweden at the start of the week canceled.
Comments
See Also
The Swedish pilots’ union claims that its lowest-earning members are paid 29,000 kronor ($3,503) a month by SAS, but the airline disagrees with those numbers, citing different figures in response.
“I’ve never seen anything about that. I believe the entry level salary is around 36,000 kronor ($4,349) a month,” SAS spokesperson Fredrik Henriksson told news agency TT. He added that a variety of daily allowances can also impact the figure.
According to Henriksson, the average salary among 1,300 SAS pilots is 78,000 kronor ($9,424) a month, while the highest earners make 96,000 kronor ($11,599) a month. The Swedish pilots’ union has a different view, however.
“Once you become a commander you get a wage increase of around 30 percent. The final wage after 30 years of service is 92,000 kronor ($11,116) per month,” union chairman Martin Lindgren told TT. “That’s a level which takes a long time to reach, and is only attained after many years,” he added.
Swedish SAS pilots went on strike at 6pm last Friday after rejecting a mediator's proposal of a 2.2 percent wage increase, insisting instead on a 3.5 percent raise. Further negotiations on Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful.
Discussions between the union and the airline stalled again on Monday. That ensured a fourth day of strike action, leaving the majority of the airline’s domestic and European flights from Sweden at the start of the week canceled.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.