Strike Threat By Pilots

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31987, 14 May 1969, Page 18

Strike Threat By Pilots

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, May 13. Members of the Airline Pilots’ Association have told Air New Zealand that they will strike after May 26 if pay claims are not met by the airline.

The association, whose members already get paid up to $10,550, want these rates nearly doubled in stages during the next five years. They are also seeking extra payments to pilots of aircraft when navigators are replaced by navigation machines, and the right to negotiate the hours of service, which are at present laid down by the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport.

The ultimatum was delivered to Air New Zealand today after the break-down in negotiations with the airline, which have been going on for weeks.

The stop-work action was agreed after members, in a postal ballot, late last month, voted overwhelmingly for direct action to support the claims.

The strike would ground all Air New Zealand’s aircraft

and could leave passengers stranded. The chairman of the overseas branch of the Airline Pilots’ Association (Captain D. R. Eden) said tonight that the pilots considered they should be paid rates similar to those of Qantas pilots. “We feel that we fly similar aircraft on similar routes and to the same technical standards,” he said. “They can earn approximately double our salary, although under a slightly different system which depends on the hours they fly.” Mr Eden said that a first year co-pilot with Air New Zealand earned $4300, and this increased to $10,550 for a 12-year captain. A senior captain with Qantas was paid $19,018 after eight years as a captain, he said.

“We feel we can’t expect this all at once,” said Mr Eden. “It would be ridiculous to bump it up all at once. But we feel Air New Zealand should be able to introduce these salaries over five years.