RAM pilots return to work but dispute continues

Pilots from Morocco's flag carrier RAM returned to work today after extending their planned two day strike to a five-day walk out

Demands for higher wages and a higher representation of Moroccans brought operations at Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and affiliated Atlas Blue to a standstill over the week-end. The 300 pilots of Royal Air Maroc grounded the company's aircraft from 5pm Friday (July 17th) through 8am Monday (July 20th) and then instead of returning to work they voted to extend the strike.

The labour action comes in the middle of Morocco's holiday season, causing sizeable losses at RAM. CEO Driss Benhima estimated losses at between 50-100 million dirhams per day, stressing that "the company does not have a great deal of money".

Many flights continued despite the walkout with Atlas Blue pilots supplementing foreign captains,

Najib Ibrahimi, spokesman of the Moroccan Airline Pilots' Association, said that the principle demands were that Moroccans be appointed to the post of captain within the RAM group, that the practice of recruiting foreign captains be ended and that the wages of technical staff be reviewed.

"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," he said, "and 60% of Atlas Blue employees are foreign even though a plan to recruit Moroccans was put forward years ago."

The management of Morocco's national carrier denounced the strike and reiterated their willingness to pursue talks to restore harmonious industrial relations. In an official statement, the company reacted as follows: "The strike launched by the Moroccan Airline Pilots' Association has gone ahead, even though talks have been pursued by the company's management and representatives of the pilots since July 13th, during the course of which the management expressed their willingness to give consideration to the legitimate demands made".

Mohamed Yaacoubi, president of the pilots' association, said that talks alone are not enough and that agreements must be implemented.

Benhima said that RAM is willing to continue the talks, adding that his company supports a pay raise and the call for giving key posts to Moroccans.

Since 2006, RAM has acted to increase the capacity of the National Pilot Training School by boosting infrastructure, including ten new training aircraft. "The training and recruitment of graduates from the National Pilot School will enable us to promote RAM pilots to the post of captain within the group," the company assured staff.

On the financial front, RAM said it has offered pilots' representatives a pay raise for technical flight staff as part of a flight-time package deal and has submitted a set of draft internal regulations for them to consider. The pilots' spokesman said that the proposals fell short of expectations.

The pilots saw their strike through to the end. RAM had to pull out all the stops to meet passenger demand. Saad Azzioui, the company's director of ground operations, said that the company operated 85% of its scheduled flights by deploying crew from Atlas Blue and other airlines.

A call centre was set up to provide flight information to passengers.