The Swedish pilots’ union claims that its lowest-earning members are paid 29,000 kronor ($3,503) a month by SAS, but the airline disagrees with those numbers, citing different figures in response.
“I’ve never seen anything about that. I believe the entry level salary is around 36,000 kronor ($4,349) a month,” SAS spokesperson Fredrik Henriksson told news agency TT. He added that a variety of daily allowances can also impact the figure.
According to Henriksson, the average salary among 1,300 SAS pilots is 78,000 kronor ($9,424) a month, while the highest earners make 96,000 kronor ($11,599) a month. The Swedish pilots’ union has a different view, however.
“Once you become a commander you get a wage increase of around 30 percent. The final wage after 30 years of service is 92,000 kronor ($11,116) per month,” union chairman Martin Lindgren told TT. “That’s a level which takes a long time to reach, and is only attained after many years,” he added.
Swedish SAS pilots went on strike at 6pm last Friday after rejecting a mediator's proposal of a 2.2 percent wage increase, insisting instead on a 3.5 percent raise. Further negotiations on Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful.
Discussions between the union and the airline stalled again on Monday. That ensured a fourth day of strike action, leaving the majority of the airline’s domestic and European flights from Sweden at the start of the week canceled.