Zeal bargaining continues

EPMU members at Air New Zealand-owned company Zeal spent yesterday and today in negotiations for their first EPMU collective agreement.

The 270 members, who work as cabin crew on Airbus 320 flights, are seeking parity with their Air NZ counterparts who are paid up to 20 to 30 thousand dollars a year more. 

EPMU national aviation organiser Strachan Crang says base rates in the company are appalling. "The starting rate for these members isn't much above minimum wage and their allowances are a fraction of industry standards."

"We're also tabling fresh claims to stop the company using our Zeal members as a cheap labour agency," says Crang, "as we have concerns they've planned to deploy our members to other Air New Zealand fights as cheap labour." 

Zeal is the company that was formed to hold Freedom Air crew and operations separate from Air New Zealand when the budget airline brand was discontinued.

Zeal flights run the same routes as Air New Zealand flights and under the same brand.