Air NZ and EPMU to resume pay talks

Air New Zealand and the union representing its cabin crew staff will have further talks tomorrow over a long-running pay dispute, despite the union issuing another strike notice.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) announced yesterday cabin crew for Air New Zealand subsidiary Zeal would launch a four-day strike on May 7 as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

The strike would involve 240 flight attendants and affect all Trans-Tasman and Pacific flights serviced by Air New Zealand's Airbus A320 fleet.

Air New Zealand Group general manager short haul airlines Bruce Parton said today the two parties would meet tomorrow, and mediation was likely to result.

He said even if the strike went ahead no flights would be disrupted by the strike, with managers and other staff volunteering to work their weekends to ensure customers wouldn't be affected.

"We've been inundated internally with people who are quite prepared to take days off and the weekend etc to go out and make sure the customers fly," he told Radio New Zealand.

"An awful lot of our staff feel this is the right thing to ensure the customers aren't affected, and are pretty fed up with this whole situation."

He said the strike breakers would not be paid anything extra than what Zeal staff were earning.

Mr Parton told NZPA last night flight attendants intending to go on strike in May would be locked out "to protect the Air New Zealand schedule and enable us to commence implementation of a crew roster using alternate staff that we have ready to go".

The company had respected the right for union members to strike up until now, but that it had had enough.

Earlier this month, flight attendants called off strike action planned for Easter after a legal challenge by Air New Zealand.

Crews have continued their protest by refusing to comply with the airline's uniform policy or to carry out stand-by duties.

- NZPA