Airline Crew Members Reportedly Planning 'Historic' Strike

Cabin crew workers for a major international airline are reportedly two weeks away from a strike one outlet described as "historic."

Air New Zealand crew members, who are represented by two separate unions--E tū and the newer Flight Attendants Association of New Zealand (FAANZ)--are set to go on strike December 8, according to multiple reports. Flight attendants serving regional, domestic, and international operations will be participating.

Up to 15,000 travelers could be affected by the stoppage, per Newstalk ZB.

This type of action is apparently almost unheard of

Paddle Your "Own Kanoo's Mateusz Maszczynski explained why these plans are "historic" following several months of failed negotiations between the carrier and both unions.

"Unlike in some countries, cabin crew at Air New Zealand aren’t required to join a union, and if they do choose to have official representation, they have a choice of what union to join," Maszczynski explained.

"There are currently two unions representing Air New Zealand crew, and with the carrier splitting collective bargaining agreements by the types of planes that flight attendants work on, it has traditionally been incredibly difficult for unions to exert a huge amount of pressure on the airline with the threat of a strike."

Maszczynski says regional flight crew members will strike between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Dec. 8, with domestic and international flight attendants striking between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.

Crew members weigh in, Air New Zealand responds

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one Air New Zealand flight attendant accused the company of putting "efficiency over wellbeing."

"Air New Zealand is prioritizing efficiency over crew wellbeing," the crew member told RNZ. "They're asking us to be more productive when our rosters are already stretched, and that increases the risk of fatigue. Fatigue in aviation is dangerous, affecting the safety of both crew and passengers.

"We're also being asked to trade away hard-won conditions just to get an inflation-level pay rise, and that isn't a fair deal."

Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar appeared on Herald NOW Sunday and said while the carrier is looking into canceling flights and rebooking passengers if needed, there is still hope of avoiding a disruption.

"We’re doing everything we can to avoid strike action. We’re meeting again with the unions this week. And I think our objectives are aligned,” Ravishankar said.

"This next round of conversations are going to be critical. And as we get the finer details locked down, and if we do end up going down that path, the first people we’ll notify are the customers.”