Staff defiance grounds Sydney flight
By JOHN HARTEVELT - The Press
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Christchurch
Four Air New Zealand crew members yesterday refused to take off novelty wigs, grounding a Christchurch-Sydney flight and stranding about 60 passengers overnight.
The airline last night suspended the four in what the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) said was a move to "up the ante" in their industrial dispute.
Easter weekend strikes remained a possibility, despite yesterday's withdrawal of strike notice, the union said.
Fifty of the 110 passengers scheduled to fly from Christchurch to Sydney yesterday afternoon were put on a later flight, and 60 were accommodated overnight in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the 60 passengers would fly out early today.
The passengers had cleared Customs and were waiting in the departure lounge when they were told of a delay. Ten minutes later they were told their flight was cancelled because some cabin crew were inappropriately dressed.
The crew members were asked to change into uniform, "but unfortunately they determined that they would not", an Air New Zealand staff member told passengers queuing at the airport.
"The lady who sold me the flight said Air New Zealand is reliable and it's really better than Jetstar," stranded German tourist Mara Drueke, 20, said. "Now I'm standing here and the Jetstar flight is flying to Sydney and it was cheaper. It was a bad choice."
Australian couple Bob and Kay Crossman said the overnight wait was a frustration.
"We offered to serve ourselves but they weren't interested," Kay Crossman said.
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said the staff involved refused to remove their wigs, and that was what caused them to be suspended.
Little said he was mystified why Air New Zealand had suddenly suspended the crew. The uniform non-compliance had run since Saturday.
Air New Zealand had operated novelty flights where crew members were expected to wear wigs, he said. "We don't see what the issue is with wigs."
The union yesterday withdrew a notice that members intended to strike over Easter, but two non-compliance notices not to work on standby and not to wear the company uniform remained in place.
The strike notice was withdrawn on legal advice, but the union was "considering reissuing the strike notice ... and a decision will be made in the next two days", Little said.
Mediation is continuing and Little said talks on Tuesday had been "reasonably constructive"
"So it does surprise me a wee bit that things have intensified since then," Little said.
"I thought there was the glimmer of progress being made. There is a sense that the company is upping the ante."
Zeal 320 is an Air New Zealand subsidiary company that employs 250 EPMU-affiliated flight attendants who work on the A320 services on Pacific and trans-Tasman routes. The workers want pay equity with crews on Air New Zealand domestic and long-haul flights.
Air New Zealand last night apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused by the Christchurch suspensions.
Nine crew were suspended in Auckland on Wednesday but returned to work yesterday. Group general manager of short-haul airlines Bruce Parton said the nine staff had been suspended for "childish tactics", including "placing stickers on their foreheads and buttocks".
The attire had the potential to endanger passengers and other staff, he said.
"The uniform identifies cabin crew, which is important for safety reasons, as well as the ability to convey authority and professionalism," Parton said.
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Tom #4
The reason there wasn't another crew is beause part of the strike action is not working stand-by shifts, along with not wearing the correct uniform. If they won't work stand by shifts then there is no one to call in.
I can't see this ending well for the staff to be honest. The airline could sack the lot of them for non compliance with uniform or their contracts, hire new attendents for an extra $5000 a year, and it might work out cheaper than going through all of this with the union.
I totally agree with the management on this. You people are supposed to be professional and portray the image of new zealand, MY NEW ZEALAND. I find incredible that a union will risk the safety of paying passengers as a means to negotiate. I can only say that Air New Zealand and its staff have got a long way to go to be on the competing market of air travel. To the paying passengers, fly Emirates, their economy is equal to Air New Zealands Business class and just as cost effective.
the zeal staff have known all along of the pay differences, the majority of the Air NZ staff have a lot more experience and have been with the company a lot longer hence the difference. the air nz staff are also trained for more than one plane unlike the zeal staff.the zeal staff need to lose the attitude and fulfill there job requirements like adults.
Quote.."The Uniform that AirNZ cabin Crew wear is to identify Crew incase of an emergency"...YEAH RIGHT !!!!...have you seen it !!! you could tell a crew member from a memebr of the piblic maybe apart from their name badge....thery SHOULD be more like uniform..than casual cloths
I expect cabin crew to act and look like professionals. Boas, wigs, gimmicks etc. seem to be a New Zealand phenomenon. I have never experienced that kind of nonsence on other airline flights.
Why didn't Air NZ have backup or emergency crew available? Sounds like Shonky Airlines to me.
booked on the flight from christchurch sydney return yesterday,i suggest for next time it would have been prudent if air nz contact the passengers(or their gold points members at least) and advise of the cancellation when they were informed of the situation instead of allowing everyone to arrive at the airport and treat them like lepers,and lie to them.everyone knows you dont need advertising if you dont look after the customers you allraedy have..
"We offered to serve ourselves but they weren't interested," Kay Crossman said.
Interesting... they think the only purpose of the cabin crew is to serve the food? How did the Crossman's plan to handle an emergency situation if one arose?
The flight was cancelled because Air New Zealand cancelled it, not because of the cabin crew's accessories. It was the Air NZ's choice to suddenly start suspending crew who were present and willing to work within the bounds of their strike notice, which states they may wear non-compliant accessories. On previous Air NZ flights the crew have dressed in santa hats and pink feather boas (for the 'pink' mardi gras flights). What is the difference?
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Lee says "I can't see this ending well for the staff to be honest. The airline could sack the lot of them for non compliance with uniform or their contracts, hire new attendents for an extra $5000 a year, and it might work out cheaper than going through all of this with the union."
Are you aware that the flight attendants are ON STRIKE? This is legally protected action and the flight attendants have every right to strike during contract negotiations. Air NZ was notified of the coming strike action but did not try to come to an agreement to prevent it. It would be totally illegal for Air NZ to sack them and hire more. The company has already spent a fortune training strike-breaking crew. This is not about the money for the company.
And Ali says this is risking safety of passengers. How so?
As for them always knowing about the difference in pay rates, these crew were hired as budget airline Freedom Air crew, and the company has just gone and put them on Air NZ flights with no change to their contracts. Of course they should have pay parity with other Air NZ cabin crew!