Air NZ engineers ramp up industrial action

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Air NZ reaches deal with engineers
Friday, 09 May 2008

A settlement may have been reached between Air New Zealand and its engineers, less than a day after they began a planned two-week course of industrial action.


Around 1500 members of the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association (AMEA) and the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) have been involved in negotiations since March.

Workers were seeking a 5.8 per cent pay rise while Air New Zealand offered 3.75 per cent.

At midnight last night the engineers began industrial action by refusing to work overtime.

In the second week they had threatened to stop undertaking plane safety checks.

EPMU spokesman Rob Egan told NZPA the deal was thrashed out this evening but he could not release details to media as it had yet to be shown to, or approved by, union members.

"The members have to see the deal, it's a tentative settlement."

Mr Egan said he had to speak with the national industry organiser tonight to discuss the return to a normal working environment.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said today had been "business as usual".

- NZPA
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Air NZ engineers ramp up industrial action
Friday, 16 May 2008

Engineers will ramp up industrial action against their employer Air New Zealand after voting down a pay offer from the company.


The engineers, members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association, have already imposed an overtime ban.

Negotiations have been on-going since March, with about 1500 staff members beginning the low-level industrial action on May 9.

From today, engineers will refuse to tow aircraft in and out of hangars, and from next Friday they will refuse to do engine testing.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said if an agreement was not reached, the next step would be to refuse work on any aircraft with Air NZ's signature "koru" design on its tail.

The members, who make up the vast majority of Air NZ's engineer workforce, have been seeking a 5.8 per cent pay rise but voted not to accept an offer from the company that amounted to 3.92 per cent over a year.

In mediation between Air NZ and the unions this week both sides appeared to have reached an agreement, but the offer endorsed by the unions was voted down when put to the members.

Air NZ said tonight it was disappointed the unions were not able to gain the support of their members.

The company said current strike actions and the action commencing tomorrow was at this stage not expected to impact its scheduled services, due to the airline's contingency planning.

Air NZ hoped to meet the unions again next week

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