$58,000 a year for DC10 pilots?

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 1

$58,000 a year for DC10 pilots?

PA : ' Wellington Air New Zealand’s top pilots have - asked for a wage rise ,of up to $6700. Both pilot groups — overseas DCIO pilots and domestic Boeing 737 and Friendship pilots — have asked. their employers for a 13 per cent rise. The pilots met Air New Zealand’s executives in Auckland yesterday to discuss the claim.

If successful, the claim will give the longest service DCIO captains a $6700 rise. Their annual salary would be more than $58,000 a year. The top paid domestic pilots, the longest serving Boeing 737 captains, earn about $44,000 a year.

Under the claim their salary would climb by $5700 to about $50,000 a year. Air New Zealand DCIO captains already earn more than their boss, the chief executive (Mr M. R. Davis).

Their present $52,000 salary is on a par with the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), though he is ahead with his extra

$lO,OOO in annual allowances.

, If the airline agrees to pay what the pilots have claimed, official approval will be needed by the Government’s Aircrew Industrial Tribunal. Awards for both groups of pilots expired in February-

The overseas pilots award, the “Rolls-Royce” of New Zealand’s industrial awards, takes care of far more than salaries.

It specifies that Air New Zealand’s overseas pilots must have available to them a choice of six first-class restaurants at each international stopover point — as well as first-class hotel rooms.

It says that first-class seats are mandatory for pilots when they travel as passengers on aircraft after ending or going to flying duties. If an Air New Zealand* aircraft is not fitted with, first class seats, such as an all-economy DCS, then first-class seats must be specially installed if positioning pilots will travel on it.