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ITF NZ unions back locked-out cabin crew
7 May 2009
ITF unions in New Zealand are backing cabin crew members who have been locked out in a dispute with Air New Zealand.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand; Rail and Maritime Transport Union; National Distribution Union; Merchant Service Guild; and Aviation and Marine Engineers Association have all pledged support for the air crews, who are members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson said: "The Maritime Union will give full and active support to our fellow transport workers and their union the EPMU in this dispute."
He continued: "The tactics of Air New Zealand management are textbook anti-worker, anti-union stuff. They have been using lockouts, threats, strike-breakers, holding companies - all to reduce the wages and conditions of their workers. As a majority public-owned company, Air New Zealand has an obligation to act in the public interest, rather than as pirate capitalists."
ITF NZ Convenor Wayne Butson said the actions of the airline's management are generating a backlash.
"This dispute is about the fair and just treatment of workers," he stated. "Air New Zealand is a high profile company that depends on maintaining a high quality public image - and that public image is being wrecked by their approach to their workers."
He added that ITF affiliates will continue to support the crews.
Air New Zealand has locked out 240 cabin crew who work for its subsidiary Zeal 320 Ltd. They are employed on wages and conditions that are inferior to those of their counterparts at Air New Zealand, despite doing the same work.
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