Airport workers offered 3.5%, not 6% - union

June 28, 2005
Media Release

Airport workers offered 3.5%, not 6% - union

Auckland International Airport Company workers have been offered a 3.5 per cent pay rise, not six per cent as claimed by the cash-rich company, says the workers’ union.

“The pay offer on the table is 3.5 per cent,” said Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little.

“The company is playing games with numbers and rolling in its proposed grace-and-favour bonus scheme and calculating the effect that a pay rise will have on its contribution towards the workers’ superannuation fund, and coming up with a figure of six per cent. The truth is that if they accepted the company’s offer, the workers’ pay packet would rise 3.5 per cent.”

Mr Little said that the proposed bonuses would be paid at the bosses’ discretion, and the amounts involved were small.

“Even if the company decides to pay the bonus to all workers, half will get $250 before tax, 45 per cent will get $500 before tax, with just five per cent eligible for a $1000 before-tax payment.”

The workers are claiming a five per cent pay rise, which Mr Little said was modest considering the financial state of the company.

“This company is awash with cash – so much so that it has given directors a 66 per cent pay increase and shareholders a 50 per cent dividend increase. Our members work hard to help to generate those profits, and believe that they are entitled to a decent pay rise too.”

Seventy-one workers from the company will impose an indefinite overtime ban from tomorrow, and will hold a 24-hour strike on Friday. The workers include the people who control the air traffic on the ground, control access to the airport, and provide customer help in the airport terminal.

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