Category: Aviation

Every year E tū organises a commemoration service on 28 November to mark the anniversary of the Erebus tragedy. This year is the 40^th anniversary.

The service marks the moment Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into Mt Erebus, killing all 257 people on board, including 20 crew members.

It is New Zealand’s deadliest peacetime disaster, as well as the deadliest accident in Air New Zealand’s history.

E tū aviation members and union representatives will gather at the Erebus Crew Memorial garden at Auckland Airport for the service, which will include the traditional laying of wreaths.

The service will start at 1300 and last approximately one hour.

In Auckland, there will also be a private ceremony at Government House, attended by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern and the Governor General, Dame Patsy Reddy who will meet with representatives of the Erebus families.

During both ceremonies a minute silence will be observed at 1.49pm (12.49 NZST) – the time the crash occurred.

E tū, the union for cabin crew is inviting all New Zealanders to stop what they are doing and remember the events of that day.

“Erebus changed a nation,” says E tū’s Head of Aviation, Savage, speaking on behalf of the union’s 7800 aviation workers.

“257 people from New Zealand and around the world died. This was one of our worst industrial accidents, a day when 20 aviation workers lost their lives. 

“It changed the way the whole world thought about aviation safety and about our shared responsibilities to put safety first,” he says.

“We invite all New Zealanders wherever they are in the world to pause for a minute and reflect on the event and the importance of safety at work and the responsibility we all have to look out for one another.”

In a sad coda, the day is also the 11^th anniversary of the crash involving an Air NZ A320 which crashed off the coast of Perpignan in France in 2008, claiming the lives of seven people including five New Zealand aviation workers.

ENDS    

What: wreath-laying at the Erebus Crew Memorial garden

Where:  Auckland Airport – the memorial is located to the side of the Tom Pearce Drive, 300m north of Puhunui Road roundabout

When: 28th November 1.30pm – there is a minute’s silence at the time of impact 1:49 (12:49 NZST)

For further information, contact: Savage E tū Aviation Director ph. 027 590 0074

E tū, the union for cabin crew says today’s announcement by Air New Zealand of the grounding of between two and five 787 Dreamliners is a major challenge for 787 cabin crew who are currently in wage negotiations.

The airline says the grounding is the result of ongoing engine maintenance problems with the Dreamliners’ Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.

“Yet more problems with engines at Air New Zealand has implications for 787 cabin crew members,” says the union’s Head of Aviation, Savage.

“Fewer planes flying means less work and more network disruptions. There is also a risk of some redundancies if 787 crews cannot be redeployed to other fleets or if lease aircraft can’t be found to replace the Dreamliners,” he says.

“We will be doing what we can to ensure all other options to redeploy crew are used first”.   

Savage says the news coincides with wage bargaining for 787 cabin crew.

“We have 650 787 Dreamliner cabin crew in negotiations for a new collective agreement right now and the engine problems have changed the parameters of what has been, at times, a very tense negotiation,” he says.

“Crew are not paid enough for the work they do, and this latest round of engine problems will almost certainly see the company looking to limit costs even more.

“Cabin crew are an under-appreciated group and disruptions to the airline’s performance caused by technical problems outside their control are yet another challenge for them.

“Crew have been through a lot in the two years since the first engine problems were discovered. They are dedicated professionals and they understand how the industry works. However, they do not want to see their working conditions and aviation standards decline even more than they already have.”

ENDS

For further information, contact:

Savage E tū Head of Aviation ph. 027 590 0074

E tū says it’s not surprised by Air New Zealand’s decision to pull out of its London base and cease flights between Los Angeles and London.

E tū Head of Aviation, Savage says for many years, Kiwi travellers have looked to fly to Europe via LA and London, and the soon-to-be-defunct Air NZ route was popular in the past.

But he says, that’s changed as more players have crowded the trans-Atlantic market and flights via the Middle East and Asia have become more desirable.

“After 36 years, it’s definitely the end of an era, and our thoughts are with the cabin crew and other UK based staff who will lose their jobs,” says Savage.

“The 130 London-based crew are members of Unite union in the UK. They are a mix of nationalities with about 30 New Zealanders. As we understand it, some of the London crew will have found out today while half-way to LA that the base was closing.

“Only cabin crew know what it is like to be cabin crew so, regardless of which union they belong to or where they live, our members have strong solidarity with fellow Air NZ crew who are now facing redundancy.

“We have contacted the union officials in London and will be offering whatever assistance we can.”

Savage says this morning’s other announcement of direct flights to New York was also not unexpected.  

“The focus is now on Pacific-rim countries as Air NZ re-positions itself in the market. Our members on the 787s are in contract negotiations with the company at present and that includes agreements on Ultra Long Range flying where duty times for crew will be around 19 hours,” he says.

Savage says both moves reflect a strong focus within Air New Zealand on profits.

“It is clear the airline is focused on maximising profits on every route they fly. For E tū members, it is important the drive to increase company profits does not undermine the company’s social commitments to its own employees.

“Profit at the expense of decent well-paid aviation jobs here in New Zealand will not help the New Zealand economy thrive,” says Savage.

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Savage Head of Aviation E tū ph. 027 590 0074

11 October 2019

MEDIA STATEMENT

E tū statement on the appointment of Greg Foran as Air New Zealand CEO: this should be credited to Savage, Head of Aviation, E tū.

“E tū is the largest union at Air New Zealand with over 5000 members.

“The Air New Zealand board remains committed to the High-Performance High Engagement approach, and E tū members and delegates are looking forward to meeting with their new CEO to talk about raising the standard of union-management projects and processes.

“Walmart had a reputation in the USA as an anti-union, anti-worker employer but there were clear improvements in the company’s approach under Foran’s leadership.

“Aviation workers are unionised workers. Leadership in the Aviation industry means working with your employees, not against them.”

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Savage Head of Aviation, E tū ph. 027 590 0074

E tū is supporting its members at Jetstar following today’s surprise announcement the company will cease its regional services, effective end of November.

E tū’s Head of Aviation, Savage says the announcement, which came out of the blue, is disappointing and will mean job losses.

“Like all New Zealand-based cabin crew, Jetstar flight attendants are E tū members and the regional crew group have their own collective employment agreement.  

“All 20 of the company’s regional crew are in the union and we are supporting all of them with advice and guidance at what for any worker is a very stressful time,” says Savage.

He says the union will be working to help as many of the workers as possible find alternative, suitable jobs.

“We are discussing details of the announcement with the company and we will be assisting members with finding work at Jetstar jets, the Qantas group or with any regional airlines looking for skilled and experienced crew members.”

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Savage Head of Aviation E tū ph. 027 590 0074

E tu’s Head of Aviation, Savage, has welcomed Air New Zealand’s move to allow employees to display Tā moko and other appropriate tattoos.

Savage says while the tattoo issue has not been a central aspect of the union’s discussions with Air New Zealand it still important.

“For the last two years we’ve been talking to the company about a tattoo and uniform policy that respects gender and cultural diversity,” says Savage.

“New Zealanders are used to seeing tattoos, but it is a smart move for an airline operating globally to forge ahead in this way,” he says.

“Aotearoa is a Pacific nation. No one should be surprised to board an Air New Zealand flight or turn up at a New Zealand airport and be attended to by someone with a tattoo and a smile on their face. Tā moko, tatau and tattoos are all Pacific artforms.”   

Savage says the question of what counts as an appropriate tattoo is a subjective issue but the company has a process in place to deal with that.

“Overall, where it is a concern, employers should have a clear and fair policy on these matters,” says Savage.

“The first step to achieving good workplace policies is to include the people who might be affected by the policy in the discussion, which Air New Zealand has done.

“Air New Zealand is embracing diversity and inclusiveness to increase workplace wellbeing and productivity and as a union we support that.”

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Savage E tū Director of Aviation ph. 027 590 0074

New Zealand’s largest aviation union, E tū welcomes the announcement that a design has been selected for the national memorial commemorating the Erebus disaster.

In 1979, an Air New Zealand scenic flight over Antarctica crashed into Mt Erebus killing all 257 people on board including 20 crew.

The final design, Te Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song, by Wellington firm Studio Pacific Architecture will be located in Dove-Myer Robinson Park (Parnell Rose gardens), overlooking the Waitematā and is scheduled for unveiling in May 2020.

E tū’s Head of Aviation, Savage says every year cabin crew mark the anniversary of the disaster with a wreath-laying at the Erebus Crew Memorial garden at Auckland Airport.

But he says, there has long been a need for a proper memorial to all those who died in New Zealand’s worst aviation disaster.

“We’ve long supported the call by the Erebus families for a proper memorial, which bears the name of all those on board. This design does that,” says Savage.

“While our preference would be a south facing memorial overlooking the Manukau harbour, if the families of the bereaved support the location then we stand with them,” he says.

Savage says it’s appropriate the announcement comes ahead of commemorations marking the 40^th anniversary of the crash.

“This year’s commemorations will be particularly poignant for cabin crew and pilots. The loss of Flight 901 was one of New Zealand’s worst industrial accidents and there are crew still flying today who lost colleagues and family members in the disaster.  

“The safety of both themselves and the travelling public is paramount for all aviation workers, and this focus on the Erebus disaster reminds the nation of the need to create the safest aviation industry we can.”

Savage says the union will be speaking to Auckland Airport and Air New Zealand about improving the Airport Memorial Gardens in time for the 40^th anniversary commemorations in November.

ENDS

For further information, contact:

Savage Head of Aviation ph. 027 590 0074

After three days of mediation, the unions representing Air New Zealand Logistics and Engineering workers have reached agreement in principle with company representatives.

Talks concluded at Air NZ HQ at 10pm tonight. As a result, the three one-day strike notices on 21, 22, and 23 December have been lifted. The members core aims have largely been achieved, however specific details about the offer will not be released until union members have been briefed.

E tū’s Head of Aviation, Savage, says that travellers will no doubt be relieved and should be reassured that Air New Zealand Engineers and logistics workers are dedicated professionals.

“Industrial action of this nature is always a last resort and so it’s a positive sign that we’ve reached an agreement in principle,” Savage says.

“Unions are democratic organisations so the most important next step is communicating with our members. We will be recommending the deal to members at ratification meetings over the coming week – then it’s up to the members to discuss and vote on the company offer.

“While the process has been tense at times, it is a much improved offer from where we started and maintains standards in Aviation. I want to acknowledge the union negotiating teams, especially the delegates, for getting us to this point.

“Air New Zealand and the four employee unions have a union management partnership. We still disagree, sometimes publicly. But at the heart of that partnership is a commitment to keep working on solutions and maintain productive communication with each other. We have witnessed that this week.”

“We have ongoing work to do to improve things at Engineering and E tū members as the largest union group within Air New Zealand are committed to that happening.”

ENDS