Tell us about layoffs, say unions

By DANIEL RIORDAN

Australian unions have given Air New Zealand and Ansett Australia to the end of next week to reveal who in the combined 23,000-staff organisation they intend laying off.

If the unions' ultimatum to the management is not met they will take the airline to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

Air New Zealand is integrating the operations of Ansett Australia, acquired in June, and trimming its workforce. A notice went out to all staff a week before Christmas asking who would be interested in taking voluntary redundancy if it were offered them.

Letters telling individual employees their positions were being targeted went out a few days later.

Martin Foley, Victorian president of the Australian Services Union, which represents Ansett Australia clerical staff, said unions wanted to know who was on a database of positions to be made redundant. He said Ansett Australia management inadvertently alluded to the database in its dealings with staff.

The letters have incensed the airline's unions, said Mr Foley, providing little rhyme or reason to employees as to why they and not their co-workers were being targeted.

Those who received letters included some who had been told their positions were not under threat, said Mr Foley.

Letters went to a wide range of Air New Zealand and Ansett staff, including engineering, maintenance, supply, administration, finance, call centre and IT workers.

Air New Zealand spokesmen were unavailable yesterday, but the airline had previously declined to identify areas or numbers targeted for redundancy.

Mr Foley said about 80 Ansett Australia accounts payable staff in Melbourne, who had been told their positions were being moved to Auckland before the letters were sent out, were then told they would be included in the redundancy process, because positions might open up for them elsewhere.