Numsa and Sacca have been vehemently opposed to layoffs at SAA, but after a meeting with the Public Enterprises Department, the unions believe it’s the best decision for members who prefer the voluntary severance packages.
The plan was expected to be published before the end of next week Friday.
Unions Numsa and the South African Cabin Crew Association approached the Labour Court to interdict the airline from cutting jobs.
Numsa's Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said that they were expecting the Labour Court to hear their application on Thursday.
Numsa's Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said that some of the conditions included the retrenchment of over 900 workers to help save the airline.
The eight-day strike by Numsa and Sacca has cost the airline about R50 million a day and has left thousands of travellers frustrated.
The union's president Mashudu Raphetha said that the wage deal was subject to SAA securing additional funds and that the salary increase would start from February next year.
SAA has advised workers to make arrangements with their banks because it is not guaranteed that they will be paid.
A screenshot of what appears to be an internal correspondence about delays in the payment of salaries went viral on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.
Numsa's Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said unions would not sit back and watch as workers were used as sacrifices for SAA management's failures and corruption.
Two weeks ago, the national carrier announced that 944 people could lose their jobs.
Flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Johannesburg to Durban, along with those to Victoria Falls, will be operational.
Unions are putting more pressure on the airline, with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) serving a secondary strike notice on catering company Air Chefs.
The latest move comeas after talks between trade unions and SAA brooke down on Tuesday night.
Embattled SAA said that it has managed to secure the help of various banks to keep it in business.
On Tuesday, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) met with government as well as SAA's executive management and some board members.
The South African Airways (SAA) board on Tuesday refuted allegations by unions that it was corrupt and was the reason the airline was in dire straits.
Hundreds of employees affiliated to Numsa and the SA Cabin Crew Association went on strike on Friday over wages and plans to restructure at the airline.
