June 13, 2007

Unions call for inquiry into national carrier

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association will present a petition to Parliament today asking for a select committee inquiry into Air New Zealand's behaviour toward staff during recent outsourcing disputes.

The petition has been signed by more than 800 Air New Zealand workers and calls for Parliament to investigate its use of outsourcing and other sharp employment practices.

EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little says an inquiry is in the public interest in terms of transparency.

"Many Air New Zealand employees are rightly asking how they could be forced into negotiations over their collective agreement with the threat of contracting out their jobs and at a time when they aren't allowed to take industrial action," Mr Little said.

"The national airline's conduct over engineering and groundhandling restructuring has to be seen alongside their approach to things like their alcohol and drug policy where they just didn't listen to unions until we were well into a court case.

"Even their KiwiSaver announcement a couple of weeks ago, although welcome for many employees, was made without any input from employee representatives even after they said they would seek it.

"New Zealanders own eighty-three percent of Air New Zealand - that makes us the majority shareholder and gives us the right to hold them to account. A select committee inquiry means we would get a good transparent look at what's been going on with our national carrier."

The petition will be delivered to Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee Chair Mark Gosche on the steps of Parliament at 1:15pm today.

ENDS

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