Alliance Party media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday 7 May 2009

The Alliance Party is supporting locked out flight attendants employed by Air New Zealand subsidiary Zeal 320 Ltd.

Alliance Party spokesperson Victor Billot says all fair minded New Zealanders will be outraged and offended at Air New Zealand management's tactics to rip off its workers.

"Most of these workers are young, and what Air New Zealand is doing to them is shameful."

Air New Zealand are using a holding company called Zeal 320 Ltd to employ flight attendants on inferior terms and conditions than those that are employed directly by Air New Zealand itself.

"These workers do the same work as those employed directly by Air New Zealand. Zeal 320 exists simply to rip off workers."

Mr Billot says Air New Zealand should be put under complete public ownership and its current management cleaned out.

"There needs to be a new model of management that starts to treat workers fairly and with respect. The profits of this company come from its workers, after all."

Mr Billot says no public owned company should be allowed to take part in discriminatory treatment of its workers or this type of contracting out style activity.

He says employers, including in the public sector, use subsidiary companies and contracting out to attack workers pay and conditions.

"This situation also shows the hollowness of the current National Government and their pathetic tax cuts – they hand back a penny but then give the green light for their CEO friends to rip off workers for a pound."

The Alliance Party has previously criticized Air New Zealand for its attempts to outsource work and attack wages and conditions of workers.

ENDS

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