KEY POINTS:
Air New Zealand workers are in shock at the airline's announcement it is closing its Christchurch call centre with the loss of 86 jobs, the workers' union has said.
Around 70 staff met with company officials at 3pm today to be told of the decision, which follows a period of consultation after Air NZ last month said the centre was marked for closure.
The centre will close in April next year and some of the staff will be given the opportunity to transfer to one of two Air NZ call centres in Auckland, the airline said.
Group general manager Norm Thompson said the increasing trend to book online had meant declining caller demand in recent years.
But Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union National Secretary Andrew Little said the reasoning behind the company's decision did not stack up.
"The workers are shocked and disappointed and most of them walked out of the meeting clearly distressed," he said.
The airline had been paying $5 per square metre for the lease on its Christchurch building, Mr Little said. It was paying $250 per square metre in Auckland.
"Historically, Christchurch has a much more stable workforce, so there's less turnover, less recruitment costs and training costs."
The EPMU said it was investigating legal and other options to challenge the company's decision.
- NZPA / NZHERALD STAFF
