SAS and pilot unions continue negotiations into weekend
The Scandinavian airline SAS and unions representing striking pilots were still continuing talks on Saturday, with an agreement by the end of the day deemed "unlikely."
The negotiations, which are being held at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise in Stockholm, started on Wednesday and have included 15-hour days.
On Saturday morning, chief negotiator for SAS Marianne Hernæs told news agency TT that they would press ahead quickly but she doubted that an agreement would be reached by the end of the day.
The Norwegian mediator Mats Wilhelm Ruland, said there was a "sincere will to resolve this". When asked if he had booked a flight home to Norway on Saturday night, he replied "no" with a laugh.
When Friday's negotiations finished for the day, Ruland announced "progress" and said he was "optimistic" about Saturday's continued talks.
About 1000 SAS pilots from Denmark, Norway and Sweden have been on strike since Monday 4th July.
The pilots walked out last week after negotiations broke down. They are protesting against salary cuts demanded by management as part of a restructuring plan aimed at ensuring the survival of the company, and the firm’s decision not to re-hire pilots laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The strike, which is now in its 13th day, has cost SAS up to 130m kronor a day, with 2,550 flights cancelled by Thursday, affecting 270,000 passengers.
READ MORE: What are your rights if flights are delayed or cancelled?
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The negotiations, which are being held at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise in Stockholm, started on Wednesday and have included 15-hour days.
On Saturday morning, chief negotiator for SAS Marianne Hernæs told news agency TT that they would press ahead quickly but she doubted that an agreement would be reached by the end of the day.
The Norwegian mediator Mats Wilhelm Ruland, said there was a "sincere will to resolve this". When asked if he had booked a flight home to Norway on Saturday night, he replied "no" with a laugh.
When Friday's negotiations finished for the day, Ruland announced "progress" and said he was "optimistic" about Saturday's continued talks.
About 1000 SAS pilots from Denmark, Norway and Sweden have been on strike since Monday 4th July.
The pilots walked out last week after negotiations broke down. They are protesting against salary cuts demanded by management as part of a restructuring plan aimed at ensuring the survival of the company, and the firm’s decision not to re-hire pilots laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The strike, which is now in its 13th day, has cost SAS up to 130m kronor a day, with 2,550 flights cancelled by Thursday, affecting 270,000 passengers.
READ MORE: What are your rights if flights are delayed or cancelled?
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