The threat of a strike by Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) workers has receded as ATNS and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) have reached agreement in a wage dispute that had threatened to disrupt the country’s aviation sector.

Originally, ATNS workers represented by Satawu were demanding a 6,5% salary increase across the board. However, ATNS had only offered 4.5%.

Last week, it was agreed that ATNS workers would receive a 5% salary increment across the board and 2% on anniversary. This is a one-year agreement, effective April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. Satawu said ATNS would retrospectively settle payment with the workers.

“We continued to negotiate with the employer to a point where we were ready to take it to the streets if the employer did not do the right thing. We had even approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration as the management was not coming on board,” Satawu said in a media release.