Air NZ announcement 'a kick in the stomach'

An Air NZ engineer said the announcement to workers yesterday felt like a "real kick in the stomach".

"There had been rumours, [of] maybe 300, but not this many. We weren't expecting those numbers."

The consultation process would put every worker's job at risk, said the engineer, who did not want to be named for fear of losing his job.

"They're saying it is only a proposal, it's not set in stone, but everyone here is on their toes.

"Reading between the lines, we'll lose 50 per cent of people in the hangar. The trouble is they're going to lose all that experience of years and years. They're going to throw it away. It's hard to rebuild that ability."

He said airline engineering staff, who earn $55,000 to $60,000 a year, had been told company profits were falling and the airline could not sustain the losses.

But staff had been working mainly on upgrades for the airline, not on third-party upgrades, where major profits were gained, he said. "So they're getting a good deal on their own aircraft, yet they're saying we're not making enough profit."

Workers were also speculating on the Government's role, he said.

"The Labour Party seems to be quite happy getting rid of those kind of numbers. It seems quite bizarre."

The engineer said some staff were already looking overseas for work.