Flying wig-wearers say protest is for the long haul

Zeal cabin staff say they will keep wearing fancy dress in protest at their working conditions. Photo / Supplied

Wig-wearing Air New Zealand flight attendants say they will continue donning their fancy dress although the airline has taken a hard line against staff for not complying with its uniform policy.

Staff employed by Zeal, which supplies Air New Zealand with cabin crew for its A320 services, took the day off from their fancy dress-wearing antics yesterday, but some say they are in it for the long haul.

Jenan Isaac, a Zeal in-flight service manager based in Wellington, said crew had been wearing wigs, "funny shoes" and Easter bunny ears since their industrial action for better working conditions began last Saturday.

A Zeal employee for the past 3 years, Ms Isaac said a "huge majority" of passengers had sympathised with their plight.

"They're all wishing us all the best and as long as we are there giving them the great service and still looking after them safety-wise they're quite happy.

"We are still complying to safety standards and still giving top-notch quality service out there, nothing has changed apart from the uniform."

But the fancy-dress approach has incurred the airline's wrath. At least 13 Zeal crew members were suspended after they refused to remove their wigs.

The uniform non-compliance caused the grounding of one flight from Christchurch to Sydney on Thursday, earning a blast from Air New Zealand group general manager short haul airlines, Bruce Parton, who said these were "childish tactics".

But Ms Isaac said Zeal staff wanted the same conditions that Air New Zealand long-haul and domestic staff had.

"Domestic [crew] are getting drycleaning [allowances], I want drycleaning, why shouldn't I get it? I wear the exact same uniform."

Air New Zealand and the union which represents Zeal staff, the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union, went into mediation yesterday.

EPMU national aviation organiser Strachan Crang said it was trying to resolve the issues as soon as it could.

An airline spokeswoman said it would not comment while mediation was continuing.