Cabin crew's deal with Zeal

Air New Zealand subsidiary Zeal says it has reached agreement with cabin crew after months of negotiations.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), which represents most flight attendants who operate on the airline's Tasman and Pacific routes, has agreed to a new collective employment agreement, Zeal said yesterday.

The agreement was being presented to the staff for ratification.

In May, about 240 crew represented by the EPMU walked off the job following two months of fruitless negotiations over pay parity with staff employed directly by the airline.

The EPMU said Zeal staff were paid up to $30,000 a year less than their Air NZ colleagues, a figure the airline rejected.

Air NZ responded to the strike by locking out Zeal staff and bringing in management to push the trolleys on board affected flights.

- NZPA