October 1, 2004

Industrial action by airline caterers

Workers at airline catering company LSG Skychef are holding rolling stoppages in protest over stalled pay talks. LSG Skychef provides on-board catering for airlines.

More than 100 members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union will hold two-hour stoppages today, Sunday, Wednesday and on Friday.

National secretary Andrew Little said that they were tired of working 10 and 11-hour days for little remuneration.

“They get time-and-a-quarter for the first three hours of overtime a day, and they’re doing it almost every day,” he said.

“Clearly, the overtime rates aren’t high enough to encourage the company to employ a reasonable number of people.”

The workers, at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports, prepare meals for consumption on aeroplanes. The company is owned by German airline Lufthansa.

Mr Little said that the workers were not happy with the company’s offer of a 4.5 per cent pay rise for a two-year agreement.

Service & Food Workers Union members are also taking industrial action.

ENDS

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