Media statement

24 March 2009

EPMU Shows Disrespect to Working New Zealanders

The EPMU today outrageously claimed ZEAL cabin crew who could earn between $40,000 and $60,000 per annum would be on poverty wages

“This is simply preposterous and does not reflect reality,” says Air New Zealand General Manager Tasman Pacific Airline Glen Sowry. 

“Most New Zealanders would struggle to see an income of this level for just 30 hours of work per week as poverty.”

The EPMU’s announcement today of planned three days of full strike action from 8 April is designed to cause maximum disruption for holiday makers looking forward to a well earned break over Easter.

“We are working on contingency plans to minimise disruption for customers flying on A320 aircraft across the Tasman or to Pacific Island destinations over this period,” says Mr Sowry.

The strike action does not involve domestic or long-haul operations.

“Air New Zealand has shown over the past several years it will not be intimidated or yield to industrial action by greedy unions that are out of touch with reality, particularly at a time when the global economy is melting down and people around the world are thankful for employment,” says Mr Sowry.

“We’re astounded EPMU President Andrew Little has been able to convince members to forego an opportunity to increase their take home pay by 4.5% when thousands of New Zealanders across the country are losing their jobs.

“We offered a very good pay increase at a time when we’re also trying to do everything we can for our people and avoid redundancies like we saw recently with 100 long-haul cabin crew losing their jobs as a result of softening passenger demand.”

ZEAL flight attendants represented by the EPMU recently voted to reject the company offer of a 4.5% pay increase for 15 months. The EPMU is seeking base salary increases of up to 26% and allowance increases of 70%.

Under the offer now rejected by the EPMU, a new entrant Zeal flight attendant, who works 30 hours per week and a nine-day fortnight, would earn $41,000 per annum including generous performance incentives.

“This income for a new recruit is 17% higher than the median wage for people working a full 40 hour week in New Zealand,” says Mr Sowry.

More senior attendants would earn up to $60,000 per annum.

“Our market analysis shows ZEAL flight attendants across all levels are well remunerated and earn more than their equivalents on our main competitors operating across the Tasman,” says Mr Sowry.

“The EPMU’s claim that ZEAL flight attendants’ pay and allowances are up to $30,000 a year less than others doing the same job is simply mischievous and factually incorrect. They are making comparisons with long-haul cabin crew who earn a similar base salary but have higher allowances paid in foreign currency for them to live on while on international stopovers, which can be several days in duration. It simply costs more to buy a meal in Tokyo than it does in Auckland.”

Ends

© Scoop Media