Time is running out for SAS and the pilots' union. Now the chairman of the Norwegian Pilots' Union, Roger Klokset, says that they are ready to run the airline into bankruptcy.
“We are backed into a corner with our backs against the wall and have no other options,” he tells VG.
SAS and the pilot union have so far failed to reach an agreement. And the clock is ticking – if the parties do not agree before midnight on Friday, there is a risk that nearly 900 SAS pilots will go on strike.
This could have major consequences for holidaymakers. SAS has told TT that 200-250 departures and between 20,000 and 30,000 passengers could be affected per day if the strike becomes a reality.
– As SAS pilots, we put our professional pride in getting people where they are going safely. This is the exact opposite, and it hurts us very much. We would never have done this if we had another choice, says Roger Klokset, chairman of the Norwegian SAS Pilots Association and vice chairman of SAS Pilot Group, to VG.helskärm
”"SAS management is a threat"”
The conflict is about SAS not wanting to rehire the 560 pilots who were laid off during the pandemic.
A pilot strike could crush SAS financially, the airline says. But the union is not ready to give in – and Klokset says they are willing to drive SAS into bankruptcy.
”If the company fails to adhere to the Scandinavian model, we believe it is an actor that has no right to exist,” says Klokset, calling SAS management a “threat to members’ employment security.”.
SAS writes in an email to VG that employees based in Scandinavia "have always had and of course will continue to have Scandinavian conditions.".
They further write that they do not want to negotiate in the media.
