Engineers Furious At Plans To Outsource Maintenance

More than 600 Air New Zealand mechanics, told their jobs are in jeopardy because of the airline's plans to outsource heavy maintenance work, were set to protest Saturday's arrival of the company's first Boeing 777 Saturday.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union said its members would stage a demonstration, marching past both domestic and international terminals at Auckland on Saturday. While Air New Zealand denied it, union leaders said outsourcing puts their jobs on the line.

Air New Zealand defended its decision to outsource 777 heavy maintenance.

"With a fleet of just eight 777s, we do not have the scale, and cannot justify the investment required to do the heavy maintenance checks ourselves," said Air New Zealand's engineering general services manager Chris Nassenstein in an interview with a New Zealand news organization.

He said the 777s would be maintained in New Zealand for at least the first eight years. "It is only after this period, when the aircraft will require its first heavy maintenance check that, as outlined in our proposal, we would outsource that job offshore."

But Union Secretary Andrew Little said mechanics would do little more than "kick the tires" if Air New Zealand goes ahead with plans to conduct heavy maintenance of the 777s overseas.

FMI: www.airnz.co.nz