Dismissals for participating in strike action
On 14 April 2022, Air New Zealand management responded to rolling strike action by cabin staff by selectively targeting striking workers and suspending them from duties. Some strikers were suspended for six days without pay “for taking collective action”, the E Tū union reported.
The 44 cabin crew leaders were striking for better conditions for crew members who had returned to work after a period of redundancy during the pandemic. Over 800 staff had been either furloughed or laid off during the last two years. Many of the returning workers were only being paid about the minimum wage of NZ$21.20 an hour.