Royal Air Maroc and airline pilots agreed to hold negotiations after two back-to back strikes hindered air travel and cost the carrier nearly a million euros a day.
After enduring two strikes within one week by its pilots, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) agreed to meet with the pilots' association on Tuesday (August 4th) to negotiate the labour dispute over the recruitment of foreign pilots and prevent another threatened walkout.
Pilots brought operations at Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and affiliated Atlas Blue to a standstill from July 17th-20th and again from July 22nd-July 25th. They said more strikes could follow if an agreement is not reached at the upcoming meeting.
The Moroccan Airline Pilots' Association (AMPL) wants Moroccans appointed to the post of captain within the RAM group, the practice of recruiting foreign captains to end, and the wages of technical staff to be reviewed, spokesman Najib Ibrahimi said.
"RAM management have not given the necessary guarantees that posts within RAM Express will be given to Moroccan RAM pilots, none of whom currently holds such a post, and 60% of Atlas Blue employees are foreign even though a plan to recruit Moroccans was put forward years ago," he explained.
There are enough experienced Moroccan pilots to eliminate the need for RAM to recruit foreigners, one female flight captain said last week on behalf of the AMPL.
"It is inconceivable that the role of flight captain should be given to foreigners. RAM has 150 pilots who have the skills to act as captains," Bouchra Bernoussi said.
Pilots voted by referendum to hold several work stoppages, she told Radio Atlantique, adding that whether these will occur depends on the progress of negotiations with RAM management.
"Jobs for Moroccan pilots are our main demand," Bernoussi said, adding that that the second strike was mounted because RAM refused to compromise.
The airline contends that because its fleet doubled in size to 60 aircraft since 2000, it was forced to recruit foreign pilots. The carrier is making great efforts to train Moroccan pilots to overcome the current shortage, RAM Communications Director Rajaa Bensaoud confirmed.
The airline pilots have focused on more than just stopping the recruitment of foreigners. The AMPL also argued that airline management put pressure on pilots by depriving them of benefits such as cut-price tickets for family members.
RAM rejected these accusations and criticised what it called the "irresponsible" behaviour of its pilots during this negotiating period. Bensaoud said the strikes have caused losses of almost a million euros per day.
The pilot walkouts occurred at the peak of the air travel season, with a high volume of tourists, transit passengers and expatriate Moroccans returning home on holiday, Bensaoud said. They also come at a time when the company is facing a tougher competitive environment.
RAM managers said that the company tried its best to run as many scheduled flights as possible and to minimise inconvenience during this strike, operating 85% of its scheduled flights. Passengers booked on cancelled flights were able to travel with other airlines.
But problems still occurred, to the great disappointment of passengers. Stephane, who was due to attend a family get-together in Nantes, said his flight was delayed by several hours.
"No one informed us. They could have spared me a long wait at the airport," he told Magharebia.
RAM faces a cohesive opposition in the Tuesday negotiations. Of the carrier's 354 pilots, only 30 did not participate in the last strike. At a time when the company is facing what Bensaoud called a tough competitive environment, there appears to be no clear solution on the horizon.
Ahead of the upcoming labour talks, however, draft internal regulations have been drawn up on the basis of agreements signed in 2006 with pilots' representatives, the RAM spokeswoman said.
"These regulations will be submitted for consideration to pilots' representatives," Bensaoud explained. "The document satisfies a number of the points on the pilots' list of demands."
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Casablanca
© Magharebia.com 2009
