NZ cannot afford loss of Air NZ engineers

MEDIA RELEASE

20 October 2005

NZ cannot afford the loss of skills from Air NZ engineers

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is urging Air New Zealand management to reconsider its decision to make up to 600 workers redundant in its engineering services division.

“New Zealand cannot afford to lose the sorts of specialist skills these workers bring to the New Zealand economy,” said Ross Wilson, President of the CTU. “This would be a huge loss to New Zealand, and once lost, it would be very difficult to rebuild this sort of capacity.”

“There are indications that this decision may be part of a broader process of contracting out essential services within the company. This has the hallmarks of a return to 1990s labour market practices and would not be welcome.”

“As a state owned company, the practice of Air New Zealand reflects on government. The Council of Trade Unions will be raising this issue with the government and with Air New Zealand, and we support moves by the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union to work with the company to achieve a better outcome,” said Ross Wilson.

ENDS

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