Flight attendants accept pay deal

Flight attendants employed by Air New Zealand subsidiary Zeal 320 have agreed to a pay settlement with the company, their union said today.

The parties had been in negotiations for almost a year and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union said its 200 members at Zeal 320 had voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said the 15-month agreement achieved substantial improvements for the flight attendants.

They included a 3.95 per cent pay rise and a 6.7 per cent increase in a tour-of-duty allowance after 12 months.

There would also be a new guaranteed allowance of either $149 or $186 a fortnight based on last year's value of an at-risk bonus scheme, a $1000 up-front payment and the addition of a number of non-financial clauses.

A working group to look at hours of work and rostering would be established.

Mr Little said the deal went a long way toward closing the gap with Air NZ short-haul cabin crew in several key areas and provided greater security of income.

He said the agreement had been concluded after "a long, difficult and, at times, bruising dispute". "Now it's over, we will be looking to work with Air NZ to achieve more mutually beneficial gains, especially over rostering issues."

Zeal supplies cabin crew for Air NZ's A320 services on Pacific and trans-Tasman routes.

- NZPA