No agreement on pilots’ pay arbiter

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 2

No agreement on pilots’ pay arbiter

PA Auckland The possible appointment of an American expert to arbitrate on the pay claims of Air New Zealand's Boeing 747 pilots has aroused misgivings among some airline heads. The big issue in negotiations will be whether the New Zealand pilots have the right to relativity with pilots in other countries. Air New Zealand's main argument against this is certain to be that New Zealand's economy no longer allows for this parity. Sources within the airline differed in their views over

whether Professor D. E. IJeller, of Berkeley University, California, should be the man to arbitrate. Some said that he would be attuned to American pay rates, which exceed $lOO,OOO a year for jumbo jet captains. He would therefore have to judge the claim from a New Zealand viewpoint rather than exercising his skills as an assessor of work value and reward. Others said that Professor Feller had enough experience of New Zealand pilots and conditions to take both considerations into account. Fifteen months ago Profes-

sor Feller brought about a settlement on pilot seniority and promotion among the two merged pilot groups in the airline, domestic and international. The Airline Pilots Association has yet to lodge its formal pay claims for jumbo pilots with the airline. The suggestion to call in Professor Feller was made at talks in Wellington last week during the normal award negotiations for DCB and DCIO pilots. So far, no undertaking has been received from Professor Feller that he would be available for the talks. ’