Comments by Mr Gair ‘arrogant, provocative’

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 3

Comments by Mr Gair ‘arrogant, provocative’

PA Wellington The union leader at the centre of the storm over Air New Zealand’s redundancy package. Mr E. W. Ball, yesterday branded as arrogant and provocative comments by the Minister of Transport (Mr Gair) warning unions that a fight over the airline’s staff cuts could trigger “far more drastic measures."

Mr Ball is spokesman for the combined unions in Air New Zealand.

. “He (Mr Gair) has'disregarded the pain and suffering that many workers will- experience and< threatened them with further drastic measures unless they lay down and submit peacefully,” said Mr Ball.

Trade unionists did not wish to create greater problems for the company, "but we will not stand by- and watch people victimised because of the company’s mismanagement and lack'of forward thinking: “We 'will./take whatever steps are necessary to achieve the best possible agreement we can for our people," Mr Ball said. Mr Gair had said earlier that if the employee organisations sought to fight the management’s moves, involving the airline in further and avoidable losses, they could trigger the need for more drastic measures.

“No-one. surely, would' want to be so stubborn. Or unwilling to face the facts, as to inflict such senseless injury on the airline, its staff, its passengers, and the taxpayers who have come to its assistance with a $5O million special loan.” Mr Gair said.

Mr Ball accused Mr Gair of political patronage. He suggested that Mr Gair give some consideration to the position of the employees, "who had already assisted in so many ways.”'

The airline's chief executive. Mr Norman Geary, has announced that the company would lay off 1400 staff over the next'few years, the bulk of them, almost 1000 by next March.

It prompted an angry reaction from Mr Ball, ’ who strode out of a meeting with company executives saying there would be “violent"

union reaction to the pruning. Staff in Auckland and Christchurch met yesterday afternoon to consider the company's proposals eventually to reduce staff to 6600. Christchurch Airport's 500 engineers were told yesterday that 39 of them would be laid off within the next 12 months, but the Canterbury branch secretary of the Engineers’ Union/ Mr R. J. Todd, said that the union did not believe any redundancies were necessary and it would try to avert them.

Mr Todd said that engineers at the airport were actually T . working weekly overtime, although he agreed that overtime had been reduced in the last six months.

One of the things the union would examine would be the possibility of reducing staff numbers by non-replacement of staff who leave.

Engineers at Christchurch Airport load and unload cargo and baggage and overhaul and service aircraft, including the engines, instruments and seating. Refuellers who work at the airport are in the same union, but are employed by oil companies. not airlines.

Mr Todd said the union could not determine the effect of a reduction of 39 engineering jobs until it knew in which areas they were to be trimmed. The Airline Stewards and Hostesses’ Union had been “fairly lucky" in that there would he no actual redundancies, said the union's president, Mr lan Hambly, in Auckland.

Mr Hambly said that Air New Zealand had assured the union that the 94 cabin crew identified as being surplus could ibe “wasted" by nonreplacdment between now and June next year. In the last 18 months 140 cabin crew had left the airline. Ground stewards, who are also members of the union, are not seen as surplus to Air New Zealand's staff needs. Mr Hambly said that because no redundancies would affect tljie union, no meeting had been called, but the union “ would send a newsletter to members explaining the situation.