Airport Staff To Strike

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 1

Airport Staff To Strike

From midnight tomorrow, Christchurch and Dunedin airports will be closed to all flying before 8 a.m. and after 5 pjn. This is because of a continuing, partial strike by Civil Aviation staff in support of a claim for a shift allowance.

The national secretary of the Public Service Association (Mr D. P. Long) said last evening that no other airports were affected “yet.” Christchurch staff originally decided to impose the ban from August 10, but extended their deadline to August 24 to allow more

time for negotiations nationally. Discussing these negotiations, Mr Long said: “We seem to have com- to an impasse. We’ve been trying to get a basis for settlement but couldn't get one even on terms less than Christchurch wanted. “Now we are told that our claims will be considered by the State Services Co-ordinat-ing Committee some time next week. This doesn’t suit us, and will suit Christchurch even less.” Others Paid The Civil Aviation staff are claiming for shift work to be paid at time and a quarter. Part of the basis for their claim is that a shift allowance is paid by the Post Office and by New Zealand Railways. The staff affected include air traffic controllers, crash and fire workers, technicians, communications workers and meteorologists. Night flying will still be possible from Timaru, Oamaru and Invercargill, but while the two main South Island airports are closed there will be no scheduled flights elsewhere in; the island. The partial strike will affect about 10 international flights a week, as well as dozens of National Airways flights. Airport services will be kept available for emergencies. (Minister’s statement Page 14)