Union calls off four-day Air NZ Easter strike

Photo / Brett Phibbs

Air New Zealand flight attendants have called off a planned four-day strike over Easter, the EPMU said today.

The 250 flight attendants are employed by Zeal, a company that supplies Air New Zealand with cabin crew for its A320 services on Pacific and trans-Tasman routes. They are seeking pay equity with crews on Air NZ domestic and long-haul flights.

The EPMU had earlier given notice of a strike from April 8 to the end of Easter Saturday but this morning issued a statement saying the strike notice had been withdrawn.

Air New Zealand welcomed the withdrawal, calling the strike notice "futile".

Group general manager short haul airlines Bruce Parton said the EPMU decision came after being faced with an interim injunction filed by Zeal and due to be heard by the Employment Court at 10am tomorrow.

"Clearly, the EPMU has accepted that there is a more mature path to resolving this employment dispute," he said.

EPMU general secretary Andrew Little said Air New Zealand had applied to the court on the grounds that one aspect of the strike notice - relating to what constituted being "in New Zealand" while on flying duties - was unclear.

He said the union's negotiating team had received legal advice that the strike notice was "unlikely to survive the court action".

But the team was considering re-issuing the strike notice that was the subject of the airline's injunction, and a decision would be made in the next two days, he said.

Meantime, industrial action already under way would continue.

Flight attendants took initial action from last Saturday by not following uniform policy, and started refusing standby work from yesterday.

Air New Zealand has said the flight attendants are lowering the tone of the airline.

In a terse statement yesterday Bruce Parton said nine staff had been suspended for non-compliance with their strike notice.

That non-compliance included "childish tactics like wearing feather boas, lace gloves, pink wigs and placing stickers on their foreheads and buttocks".

Such attire had the potential to endanger passengers and other staff, Mr Parton said.

"The uniform identifies cabin crew, which is important for safety reasons, as well as the ability to convey authority and professionalism."

Air New Zealand was increasingly fielding comments from staff and customers embarrassed by the behaviour of some of the Zeal crew, but were grateful to Air New Zealand, Mr Parton said.

But Mr Little said yesterday the suspended members' actions were consistent with the strike notice the union had given.

Mediation between the two parties would continue tomorrow, Mr Parton said.