Air New Zealand says sign or lose jobs

Staff at Air New Zealand's Christchurch engineering base are being asked to agree to a restructuring plan or face losing their jobs.

Air New Zealand has threatened to close the base, unless workers agree to the restructuring plan at a scheduled vote today, The Press reported this morning.

If not, they face losing their workplace and engineering work to Auckland, staff and unions said.

More than 460 airline staff are employed at the Christchurch engineering centre.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) secretary Andrew Little said there had been two threatening letters on Tuesday and yesterday from the airline implying the Christchurch base could be closed.

One of the letters, obtained by The Press, written by Air New Zealand Engineering Services general manager Chris Nassenstein, said he would only interpret a "negative" vote "as an unwillingness to commit to a positive future for the Christchurch base and its staff".

"Combined with the results of recent financial analysis that indicate there are very significant savings available in a single-base strategy, I would then initiate consultation with Christchurch staff on the future of the base," he said.

Mr Little said the airline's statements were stirring up "a fractious workforce in Christchurch".

Air New Zealand engineers failed on Monday to agree on a new proposal to save 300 jobs from being out-sourced overseas.

Air New Zealand engineering staff from Auckland and Christchurch voted last week on the new proposal which gave concessions in pay and conditions.

The ballots were counted and the results announced at Auckland International Airport on Monday afternoon.

However, the concessions were too great for some Christchurch members of the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association (AMEA).

- NZPA