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Zeal 320 Ltd FAQ
Why are Air New Zealand flight attendants at Zeal 320 taking industrial action?
EPMU members at Zeal 320 Ltd are taking industrial action because despite six months of negotiations Air New Zealand is still refusing to give them a decent wage increase and better terms and conditions including limitations around hours of work.
These workers are paid significantly less than other flight attendants at Air New Zealand, despite doing the same work on the same routes and wearing the same uniforms as all other Air New Zealand crew.
This is the first collective agreement Zeal workers have negotiated as members of the EPMU.
What is Zeal 320 Ltd?
Zeal 320 Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand that was created to employ ex-Freedom Air staff and any new A320 crew when the budget brand was rolled back into the company.
Flight attendants employed through Zeal earn significantly less than their co-workers who are employed directly by Air New Zealand.
It is the union's view that Zeal 320 Ltd exists purely as a vehicle to pay staff working on the A320 fleet less than other Air New Zealand staff.
How much less are flight attendants employed through Zeal 320 paid than their colleagues employed directly by Air New Zealand?
Around $30,000 a year.
Flight attendants employed through Zeal 320 Ltd don't just start on a lower base rate than their colleagues employed directly by Air New Zealand, they're also entitled to fewer and lower allowances.
As allowances like overtime and shift pay make up around half of the average Air New Zealand flight attendant's pay, workers at Zeal receive around $30,000 a year less in take-home pay.
Base rates:
Role
| Zeal 320 | Air NZ Domestic Jet | Air NZ International |
Flight Attendant On appointment | $25,625.84 | $26,480.00 | $31,069.00 |
Flight Attendant After One Year | $28,537.43 | $31,016.00 | $34,798.00 |
ISM (Purser) On appointment | $35,527.18 | $42,849.00 | Comparable to ISC (see below) |
Inflight Service Co-ordinator | N/A | N/A | $47,849.00 |
ISM (Purser) After One Year | $37,856.02 | $45,206.00 | Comparable to ISC see below |
Inflight Service Co-ordinator (after one year) | N/A | N/A | $50,955.00 |
Allowances:
Allowance | Zeal 320 | Air NZ Domestic Jet | Air NZ International
|
Telephone Allowance | None | 50% of basic telephone line rental | None |
Overtime (taxable and payable on duty time not flight time) | None | After 8hours 1.5 times hourly rate, after 11 hours double time hourly rate | After 8hours 1.5 times hourly rate, after 12 hours double time and after 13 hours 2.5 times hourly rate. |
Meal Allowance | None | $33.25 for lunch plus $33.25 for dinner $20 for supper (Domestic Duties) For International duties as per the Supp 2 attached | Payable on all trans Tasman duties as per the Supp 2 attached |
Daily Expense Allowance (NZ) | None | $43.60 per night away from home base |
|
Daily Expense Allowance (Intl Ports) | None | $40.40 per 24 hours away in Intl Port | $40.40 for all Australian ports and varies for all other international port |
Sector Payments (International Duties Only) | None | $27.50 Purser (per sector) $17.50 Flight Attendant (per sector) If onblox after 2359 another sector payment and then after 0100 an additional $55 for Pursers and $27.50 F/A) | N/A |
TODS (covers all meals, grooming, overtime) | $4.87 per hour | N/A | N/A |
Transport Allowance | $12.50 akl per duty
$6.50 wlg/chc per duty | Up to $25.25 per duty for all duties starting prior to 0800 or finish after 2000 OR if you work on a Sat/Sun or public holiday | Transport Provided for all duties to and from designated pick up points |
Uniform Upkeep/Grooming Allowance | None | $31.15 per fortnight | $27.00 per fortnight |
How many flight attendants are involved in the industrial action?
The industrial action will involve all 250 flight attendants at Zeal who are members of the EPMU. This represents 85% of the company's flight attendants.
What form will the industrial action take?
From Saturday March 28 workers will not be following uniform policy and will be refusing to do some paperwork.
From Wednesday April 1 workers will be refusing standby. This means the company will have difficulty filling crew requirements at short notice. It should be noted that under Civil Aviation law there are minimum crew requirements that must be fulfilled before a plane is allowed to take off.
From Wednesday April 8 workers will be taking full strike action.
Which routes will be affected?
All domestic, Trans-Tasman or Pacific flights carried out by Air New Zealand's Airbus A320 fleet will be affected by the industrial action.
What are union members asking for?
Zeal workers are asking for a living wage and conditions that enable them to achieve a work/life balance and avoid sickness and fatigue. Most importantly, they want a move towards pay parity with other Air New Zealand cabin crew who do the same work.
What has the company offered?
Air New Zealand is currently offering nothing.
Contact
For more information contact EPMU national aviation organiser Strachan Crang on 027 590 0049 or EPMU communications advisor Rob Egan on 027 276 5146.