E tū has issued a new strike notice for Air New Zealand’s short haul cabin crew (covering inter-city, trans-Tasman, and Pacific flights), with industrial action set for 18 December if a fair settlement cannot be reached. Constructive progress means that strike notices for 8 December – for the widebody, short haul and turboprop collective agreements – have now been withdrawn, but short haul bargaining remains unresolved. E tū delegates at short haul have withdrawn the 8 December strike notice as a gesture of good faith so that bargaining can continue.
E tū National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh says the progress on the other two agreements shows what can be achieved when the company is prepared to move.
“We’ve made enough headway on widebody and turboprop to return those offers to members for a vote, and that is a positive step. Crew were very clear that clawbacks were unacceptable, and we’ve stopped most of them. We’ve also secured at least the Living Wage as the minimum base rate across those agreements,” Rachel says.
“However, short haul crew are still without a fair deal. Their workloads and responsibilities are significant, and they deserve the same respect and progress as their colleagues. The reissued strike notice reflects that urgency.”
Rachel says the union remains focused on reaching a full settlement across all three collective agreements.
“Our preference is always to resolve bargaining at the table, but short haul cannot be left behind. If we cannot reach agreement before 18 December, the strike will proceed.”
She says E tū members have shown unity and determination throughout the process.
“These crew deliver safety, service, and professionalism every single day. They’re standing together for fair pay and fair conditions, and we will continue to support them until we have agreements they can be confident in.”