Air New Zealand engineers have revealed plans to strike on December 21, the busiest day of the year for the company.
Almost 1,000 staff would be involved with the strike which will affect an estimated 42,000 customers who booked to fly that day.
While Air New Zealand said that approximately 42,000 customers usually book travel on December 21, the effects could sweep much further, and impact all the way through to Christmas Eve.
“No one wants to disrupt people’s Christmas plans, but Air New Zealand has taken an unnecessarily aggressive approach,” said Savage, head of aviation at the union E tū.
“This is not just about pay. It’s about repeated proposals by the airline weeks out from Christmas to pay them less than colleagues who have already settled and to cut into key conditions, including overtime rates.
“This affects line and hangar engineers, but also store workers and aircraft cleaners who are covered by the same document and who are struggling to get ahead.”
The Unions have organised a meeting with Air New Zealand for Monday to try sign a resolution and stop the strike action.
“Aviation workers don’t make these decisions without good cause. In aviation, there is a constant downward pressure on costs driven by airlines. The result is a race to the bottom on wages and conditions.”
