Air N.Z. pilots at odds as talks break down bitterly

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 1

Air N.Z. pilots at odds as talks break down bitterly

PA Auckland Talks between Air New Zealand and its domestic and overseas pilots collapsed in acrimony' al Auckland yesterday.

The parties could not

agree on the terms of reference for arbitration, and the Aircrew Industrial Tribunal will meet in Auckland today to decide the terms.

Air New Zealand merely hinted later at its bitterness over the talks yesterday, but the overseas pilots went much further.

The chairman of the Overseas Pilots’ Council (Mr A. E. Dovey) said last evening that the domestic pilots would not accept the tribunal’s ruling if it was not to their liking, and would take additional industrial action.

However, Captain R. B. McNair, the chairman of the N.A.C. Pilots’ Council, said that domestic pilots would accept the tribunal’s decision on the terms of reference. He also denied that the pilots had repudiated an agreement reached between the parties last week in Wellington.

The company and the overseas pilots referred to a letter from the Secretary of Labour (Mr G. L. Jackson) which said that in a meeting in his office last Wednesday, the domestic pilots had objected to only one word in the draft terms of reference, and that the meeting yesterday would discuss “this one outstanding issue.” Air Nev Zealand said last evening that the domestic pilots had repudiated the position reached last Wednesday and had asked for substantially new terms of reference. Neither the company nor the overseas pilots would agree to this, the company said.

The overseas pilots said that the repudiation “was a posture which came as no surprise, because of our experience with the domestic pilots.” The domestic pilots had repudiated unanimous agreements between members of the Airline Pilots’

Association in the past, including policies of a central committee of management which was dominated by domestic pilots. The domestic pilots’ support for an illegal strike “may well be entirely caused by threats of dismissal from the association and consequent loss of employment,” the overseas pilots said. These threats had been made before the strike.

Mr Dovey said later that the domestic pilots had not given any notice of their last strike. The position put by Captain McNair in the past had been that if a tribunal decision was not to the domestic pilots’ liking “they would take industrial action to make it to their liking.” “I believe it is possible that they would take strike action again,” Mr Dovey said.

Captain McNair said last evening that he did not want to get into a mud-

slinging match. He said that domestic pilots had confidence in the tribunal and would accept its decision. Matters had become highly emotional, and the problems had become too difficult for the Pilots’ Association to solve.

The only agreement which had been reached last week was to go to the tribunal if the meeting yesterday failed. It was out of context to assert that the terms of reference had been substantially agreed on.

The dispute, which disrupted internal air travel last week, concerns the seniority of pilots previously employed by the National Airways Corporation before its merger with Air New Zealand.

Domestic pilots are claiming equal promotional opportunities with their new’ colleagues, giving them the chance of making the better-paid international flights.