Up to 40 former Air New Zealand workers made redundant during the Covid-19 pandemic are yet to be hired back despite the airline cutting its flight schedule due to staffing issues. The national carrier's had its highest rates of crew sickness in more than a decade, leading to fight cancellations.
The union is in talks with the airline about improving its employment processes, Savage says. Photo: Supplied / Air New Zealand
It is cutting back its domestic and international schedules to 90 percent of pre-Covid capacity for the next six months - including the busy summer holiday period, to ensure it has backup crew to step in.
The changes mean disruptions for about 100,000 people. During Covid-19 Air New Zealand shed about 4500 workers.
Union E Tū said some of them were keen to fill the gaps. Its head of aviation Savage told Checkpoint that between 30 and 40 former cabin crew members wanted to come back but have not been rehired yet.
Some have heard that their applications were not being proceeded with but have had trouble getting the airline to explain what the barriers were.
There was no indication that these people were unsuitable for rehiring, Savage said.
"The crew that are contacting us - there just seems to be nothing in their record or in their past that would indicate that they're not someone who's suitable."
The same people have also been unsuccessful in obtaining their employment records.
The union "has been putting a lot of pressure" on Air New Zealand which was improving the way the employment process was being run, he said.
Some applicants have recently secured one-on-one conversations with the airline.
"But there does seem to some kind of barrier for crew and we're just trying to work our through that as best we can."
The union could see the sense in the airline looking ahead over the next few months and making the call to reduce its flight numbers.
But potentially Air New Zealand might bring in planes and crews from overseas for some international flights - a process known as "wet leasing" an aircraft.
"Obviously any kind of outsourcing is not favourable for New Zealand workers ...if we can find a way to avoid that kind of leasing approach then we're certainly up for the conversation. As far as possible we just want that work to go to New Zealand crews and New Zealand workers."
