Ansett strike all week?

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 3

Ansett strike all week?

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL,

industrial reporter

Ansett workers protesting ■ over their relocation payment for moving from the Christchurch Airport to the central city coiild strike all week, according to the Canterbury! Clerical Workers’ Union yesterday. !

About 30 workers are protesting a relocation payment offered to the staff. Ansett management has offered a $5OO payment, but thq union has sought a five week gross payment of $2500. The striking workers would meet today to vote on whether to continue the strike, said a union spokesman, Mr Mike Smith. The union had warned Ansett traffic staff of the action. “There certainly has been talk of continuing

the strike this week among union members,” he said. Picketing at the central city site continued yesterday. The union believed the action was causing problems for reservations in the city, but it was not affecting Ansett flights; he said. There had been discussions with the Northern Clerical Workers’ Union about the transfer of calls of Auckland during the dispute. Airport workers have been receiving a tax-free

travel allowance, negotiated by an independent arbitrator in 1979, based on kilometres travelled to work at the airport. That allowance, of about $45 per week, would be lost if the workers were based in the city. . •' The union is seeking the $2500 compensatory payment for the loss of the tax-free allowance. Under the tax-free deal some workers had received up to $l7O every two weeks and had bought cars to travel to the airport.