Hercules upgrade announcement welcome

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) welcomes today’s news that the Government and L3 Communications have reached agreement on completing the Air Force's C130 Hercules aircraft Life Extension Programme in New Zealand.

“This is welcome news, especially for the Blenheim community where 92 skilled workers were laid off at SafeAir’s Woodbourne base earlier in the year,” says EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

“With so many workers made redundant by Safe Air this year, the Government should be under no illusion as to how hard it will be to recruit the skilled workers now needed to do the job,” he says.

"Recruiting a team of skilled workers will be a major challenge because the workers that were laid off are now scattered around the country and overseas."

“The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union is keen to work with the Government on this and to ensure all the work is all done here in New Zealand.”

The EPMU represents aviation engineering members at Safe Air, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand.

ENDS

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