British Airways, however, has been battling with their unresolved issues since November last year and it now looks as if they are facing a fresh strike threat after cabin crew rejected the airline’s latest final pay offer aimed at ending the long-running dispute. The offer included two years of guaranteed rises in basic salary from February 2011 in addition to annual incremental pay.

Not only did 67% of the union members vote against the airline’s offer, but the cabin crew branch of Unite, The British Airways Stewards and Stewardesses Association (Bassa), also published a guide detailing what it considered to be the good and bad points of the deal.

Good points include the possible expansion of work at Gatwick airport, the pledge of non-victimisation of workers involved in disciplinary cases and the partial reinstatement of staff travel. The bad list includes the “vastly reduced” terms and conditions for new staff, no further recruitment to BA’s current fleet of aircraft and the continued dismissal of staff in what it called a “disproportionate and unfair way”.

The dispute began late last year over BA’s plans to cut costs by reducing the number of cabin crew on flights. Cabin crews have thus far taken 22 days of strike action as the dispute continues and the long-running saga has cost the airline £150 million to date.

Perhaps they should send a delegation out to South Africa to learn just how to handle these matters and resolve them while the company is still standing.

]]> http://www.caperealty.co.za/british-airyways-woes-continue/feed/ http://www.caperealty.co.za/experience-the-beauty-of-the-cape/ http://www.caperealty.co.za/experience-the-beauty-of-the-cape/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:56:45 +0000 james http://www.caperealty.co.za/?p=889 Now that the excitement of the World Cup has died down, locals should take advantage of this brief lull and experience all that their beautiful and diverse region has to offer. From the Winelands and the West Coast to Simonstown and the Overberg, there are a myriad of attractions and activities which require no more than a short, scenic drive.

The Cape Winelands is one of the most visited regions in the South Africa and includes the towns of Wellington, Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl and Robertson. It is the largest wine producing region in South Africa and each area offers its own unique wine route.

With its abundance of fresh organic ingredients, the region is also known by many as the culinary capital of South Africa, particularly the picturesque town of Franschoek which is home to some of the country’s best restaurants and bistros. The area also offers a myriad leisure, sport and adventure activities, including trail hiking, walking, cycling, horse-riding and fly fishing, as well as several world-class golf courses.

The R27, also known as the West Coast Road, takes you all the way from Cape Town to Velddrift along the sparsely populated West Coast. En route, you can stop off at the popular Langebaan Lagoon and West Coast National Park or continue to Paternoster and St Helena Bay on the coast. The wetlands of Velorenvlei and Rochepan, are a virtual birds’ paradise and a must for nature lovers and Bird Island off Lamberts Bay harbour is also worth a visit.

Boulders beach in Simonstown is ideal for kids as immense boulders shelter the cove from currents, wind and large waves. You’ll also get to spend the day in close proximity to the distinctive black and white African penguins strolling along the sand as well as in the streets around the beach. But for a truly memorable view of these endemic birds, take to the boardwalks that lead you over the dunes and vegetation and thread their way through the noisy, bustling colony of birds.

Established in 1913, Kirstenbosch is proclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens in the world and, set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of its spectacular setting. Kirstenbosch displays a wide variety of the unique plant life of the Cape Flora, as well as plants from all the diverse regions of southern Africa, both outdoors and in the Botanical Society Conservatory. In fact, there are currently over 7000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species.

With so much on offer, there are a million reasons not to spend another weekend in front of the TV - pack the kids and a picnic basket into the car and explore your city – chances are, you’ll be blown away!

President Jacob Zuma was full of praise for his citizens when he addressed the media in Sandton on Monday, saying they had proved all the doomsayers wrong. The world had been warned to expect high levels of crime, unfinished stadia and a lack of accommodation but what football fans found when they came to South Africa was a different picture altogether.The fact of the matter is that the hosting of the FIFA World Cup has effectively rebranded South Africa, transforming perceptions of the country’s capacity and instilling immense national pride.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter has also given South Africa high marks for its hosting of the 2010 World Cup. When asked to rate South Africa’s running of the event out of 10, Blatter said after hosting last year’s Confederations Cup, he had awarded the country a 7.5 but that had now risen.‘I would say now they deserve a 9 out 10,’ said Blatter. ‘Perfection does not exist.’
The Fifa supremo added the people the people and government of South Africa also played a big role and that both Africa and South Africa deserve a big compliment for what they have achieved here during the past month.

And that’s high praise indeed from a veteran organisation which has just hosted its 19th international tournament!

Indeed, most South African tourism operators viewed the World Cup as an ideal opportunity to sell the country as a destination to foreign travellers long after the games are over, and it seems they won’t be disappointed.

The positive global media coverage South Africa has received during the 2010 World Cup has exceeded all expectations and looks set to benefit the country’s tourism industry long after the tournament ends.

According to the Department of Tourism, the World Cup has showcased the country to an international audience of approximately 32 billion viewers and introduced South Africa to non-traditional markets in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Tourism Minister, Martinus van Schalkwyk, recently said the World Cup was not an end in itself for the tourism sector but a milestone in the industry’s growth trajectory.

“We were always confident that our country and our people would show the world what a superb destination we offer, and yet the overwhelming positive international coverage has surpassed even our most optimistic expectations.
“The goodwill that has been unlocked cannot be measured in monetary terms,” van Schalkwyk said.

And despite Bafana Bafana’s defeat, South Africans are still passionately supporting the event. As we head into the quarter finals, the excitement is mounting and locals remain glued to their television sets daily. Many are also braving the cold and venturing out to watch the games and Cape Town has no shortage of fun, festive places to watch Africa’s first World Cup.

One of the most popular choices has been the official Fan Fest Park at the legendary Grand Parade in the heart of the city. Open every day of the competition from 11h00 to 23h00, matches are screened free of charge to thousands of fans against a backdrop of Table Mountain. Daily entertainment includes shows from all the top local artists and bands as well as performances from African Marimba bands, local DJs and new and emerging talent. Other attractions at the Fan Park are: arts and crafts stalls, food and beverage refreshment stands in the Chill Zone, as well as activity zones, including five-a-side soccer pitches.

But if an evening outdoors is too chilly for you, many other festive options abound in the Mother City and among these are:

· Rafiki’s on Kloof Nek Road where laid-back locals will be enjoying cocktails, beer and rib-sticking local grub.

· Neighbourhood in Long Street offers a rustic atmosphere in one of Cape Town’s vibiest areas.

· Oblivion in Harfield Village is a funky wine bar with great food, an excellent wine selection and huge flat screen TV’s.

· Paulaner Brauhaus in the V&A Waterfront is famous for its self-brewed draught beer and great Waterfront views.

· Tommy’s Sports Bar, just off Long Street, offers a slick interior, the cheapest drinks in town and spacious smoking and non-smoking sections.

· Forrester’s Arms in Newlands is a renowned landmark which offers traditional pub fare and an idyllic outdoor area.

1. Watch a football game in 3D! You can do this at Canal Walk and V&A Watrfront Numetro Cinema
2. Take a walk! Take an hour or 2 to experience the Fan Walk. There’s so much to see!
3. Go on The Wheel of Excellence – it’s only here for 6 months! And experience a beautiful view of the Mother City either during the day or at night with the lights lighting the town up.
4. Also, visit Madame Zingara’s Love Magic Tour which has returned to its home town for a couple of months.
5. And of course, do not forget to spend your time in Cape Town in the best holiday accommodation we have to offer!

For more places to see and things to do in Cape Town Download our Cape Town Safari iPhone App with all the hottest spots int he palm of your hand.

All 64 World Cup matches will be screened on an enormous 74sqm screen, one of the biggest structures ever to be erected in South Africa and first used by FIFA during the German World Cup. The Fan Fest will be open daily between 11:00 and 23:00 and the entertainment line-up will include headline acts, as well as talented emerging artists from throughout Cape Town.Visitors can expect to see live performances by the likes of chart-topping duo Goldfish, award-winning artist Loyiso, renowned jazz artist Robbie Jansen and Friends, the urban-pop group Gang of Instrumentals, pop and R&B artist Danny K and premier bands Freshly Ground, Prime Circle, Flat Stanley and the Flash Republic, to name but a few.
After six long years of preparation, the big event has finally dawned and, as never before, it’s South Africa’s time to shine.

This is definitely the most influential event in terms of defining the brand South Africa and a successful tournament may help the government meet its goals of attracting $15 billion in foreign direct investment over the next three years and boost tourist arrivals to 13.5 million by 2015, from 9.9 million last year.

The World Cup has generated a national fervor last seen in South Africa when all-race elections were first held in 1994 and when the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995. Streets, shops and cars have been adorned with the national flag, tens of thousands of people don the yellow jersey worn by the national team and shops are doing brisk trade in soccer regalia.

It doesn’t hurt, either, that Bafana Bafana have finally got their act together and have racked up twelve straight wins over the past few months!

Cape Town Safari is a directory of the top 5 places to be in Cape Town. That includes the top 5 breakfast spots, restaurants, clubs and bars in and around the Mother City. We included everything a visitor would want to know; from the 5 most luxurious spas to the 5 best scenic routes and best kept shopping secrets.

There’s such a vast variety of attractions in the Western Cape area that we decided to rather only offer the top 5 most incredible attractions that our visitors would most appreciate.

We want our guests to enjoy only the best Cape Town has to offer and know exactly where to go and how to get there. That is why the application includes a brief description of each place listed, GPS coordinates as well as contact details.

Why only 5, you might ask. South Africa is renowned for its Big 5, so we thought it fitting to present only the most elite and most incredible 5 options in each category. With Cape Town Safari we would like to offer all visitors an application that will make their stay more exciting and and their experience richer than ever before.

In it’s recently released annual World Tourism Barometer, the Madrid-based UN World Tour Organisation said Africa had “bucked the global trend” in 2009, with international tourist arrivals to the continent jumping 5%. That compared to a slump of 4% in travel worldwide last year amid the economic crisis and the swine flu pandemic.

Delivering his budget vote speech in Parliament this week, Tourism Minister Martinus Van Schalkwyk told MP’s that the World Cup would leave a tangible and lasting tourism legacy in South Africa, and that the benefits would continue long after the last whistle is blown.

He said that the local tourism industry had also outperformed world trends in 2009, with a growth of 3.6% in foreign arrivals, adding that this increase represents a 7.4% contribution to gross domestic product (GDP).

“This is a tremendous feather in the cap of the industry in a time when all other tourism markets worldwide were in a slump,” Van Schalkwyk said.

Nigel Vere Nicoll, the head of the Africa Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), has also predicted the tournament’s impact on tourism will be “enormous”.
“The World Cup is certainly the most exciting thing to happen to Africa, not just Southern Africa, all Africans are very proud that it’s going to be there,” he said.