KEY POINTS:
Air Nelson pilots have called a three-day strike over the weekend after 10 months of unsuccessful pay negotiations.
The New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association (Alpa), which represents more than 100 pilots at Air New Zealand-owned Air Nelson, said the action received unanimous support from members.
The pilots have held two previous strikes of half a day duration.
Alpa executive director Rick Mirkin said last month that while pilots had not had a pay rise in two years, the biggest obstacle to reaching a settlement was Air Nelson's refusal to change pilots' rosters.
Air New Zealand has called the pilots's demands excessive and said it would require Air Nelson to employ more than 30 extra pilots at a cost of more than $4 million a year, on top of rising fuel charges.
- NZPA
