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Australasian workers unite to back Zeal union
18 June 2009
Trade unions across New Zealand and Australia are backing the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) in a dispute that may soon be approaching a successful resolution. The EPMU has challenged Air New Zealand to treat air crews of its subsidiary, Zeal 320 Ltd, the same way it does its other personnel. Zeal crew are employed on inferior wages, and 240 have been locked out as a result of the dispute.
Support for the EPMU members has been overwhelming, especially from The Maritime Union of New Zealand; Rail and Maritime Transport Union; National Distribution Union; Merchant Service Guild; Aviation and Marine Engineers Association; and the Transport Workers’ Union. Australian union members blocked traffic in Brisbane last week in protest at the company’s anti-union tactics (see YouTube clips at www.epmu.org.nz/youtube and www.epmu.org.nz/news/show/172822).
Andrew Little, EPMU National Secretary, told the ITF: “The talks are at a delicate stage still. Air NZ and the union have set out their respective positions on all outstanding issues and we are down to only a handful where we are in total disagreement. We are waiting to hear back from the airline, and we are trying to get them back into a mediation process to see if we can't resolve the small number of outstanding issues.”
ITF Civil Aviation Secretary Gabriel Mocho today advised Air New Zealand Managing Director Rob Fyfe to close the gap and resolve the outstanding concerns: ‘On behalf of all our aviation union affiliates we urge Air New Zealand to bring the dispute to a close through negotiation. The flight attendants at the heart of the dispute have been seeking a fair agreement for more than eight months now and it is unreasonable to drag out settlement of it unnecessarily.’
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