There is still a risk of a SAS strike. On Saturday, the mediation deadline was postponed once again. The parties are now taking a break, but will meet again on Sunday.
Once again, a new mediation deadline was set. The new mediation deadline was set for Monday at 12:00 noon.
“We actually come with the same message as we did last time. We have chosen to postpone once more, until Monday at 12 o’clock,” said SAS negotiator, Marianne Hærnes.
Ombudsman Mats Wilhelm Ruland says that there are difficult questions to be resolved. “There is still a basis for the work to continue,” he said.
Ruland said that the parties talk well together, but that there are difficult issues to be resolved. He says they are now taking a break before work starts up again on Sunday.
“There is still distance, but we feel we are in dialogue and there is every reason to use the time we do now and until Monday,” said Jan Levi Skogvang, who represents the SAS pilots.
Roger Klokset, leader of the Norwegian SAS pilots’ association, says that they will turn every stone to come up with a solution. “We want an agreement with SAS. We want to avoid a conflict, but there are some important principles that we do not have the opportunity to deviate from,” he declared.
The original deadline was 29 June, but the parties agreed to mediate until Friday, 1 July at 24.00. As the deadline began to approach Friday night, the negotiator made it clear that the parties were in the process of breaking another mediation deadline.
The new mediation deadline was set for Saturday 2 July at 11.00, but now this mediation deadline has also been postponed. As is well known, the new mediation deadline is 4 July at 12.00.
There are around 900 pilots who can be taken out on strike if the parties do not agree.
A major strike among SAS pilots will affect around 250 departures and 45,000 passengers daily, according to the news agency TT.
Source: NRK
