Air N.Z. food staff win high pay-rise rate

Press, 14 May 1985, Page 9

Air N.Z. food staff win high pay-rise rate

PA Wellington Staff working in Air New Zealand cafeterias have won pay increases of up to 23 per cent.

The Air New Zealand catering agreement, which covers staff working in flight kitchens and staff cafeterias in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, is awaiting registration by the Arbitration Court.

Details of the settlement are given in the latest Wellington Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union newspaper, “Push.” Under the award some rates have increased 15 to 23 per cent — averaging 19 per cent over 11 months. The highest increases went to staff cafeteria workers who gained parity with employees in flight kitchens.

A flight kitchen catering

assistant now receives $6.30 an hour.

Hotel and hospital workers’ unions nationally have achieved some of the highest percentage increases of the last award round. But, as officials pointed out at last week’s Federation of Labour conference, high percentage increases for low-paid workers still often left them worse off than more highly paid workers who achieved the average increase of 6.5 to 7.02 per cent. All settlements won by the unions were well above the Government’s guideline of 4 to 5 per cent for 10 months. No settlement has been reached yet in two remaining awards, the rest homes and boarding schools domestic workers’ awards. Both have been referred to the Arbitration Court for settlement.