Air NZ to trim maintenance workforce

A UNION leader says the announcement that up to 180 heavy maintenance jobs at Air New Zealand will be axed was a “sad, sad day for aircraft engineering”.

The engineers’ union and the airline are consulting over the extent of job losses over the next two months, and both say the fall-off in heavy maintenance work as the fleet is modernised was largely responsible for the layoffs planned for around the middle of next year.

The union also says the high value of the New Zealand dollar was hurting competitiveness in spite of productivity gains made over the past few years.

But the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union wants the airline to keep a project to refurbish its older model 777s in NZ to give the workers 12 months’ breathing space.

The airline has said the work, involving new seats and entertainment systems, would be worth $87 million.