Air New Zealand's Shanghai manager has told his Chinese crew that their pay review will be given ‘‘top priority'' and they will be issued with credit cards from this week to solve issues with their meal allowances.
The assurance - in an internal staff memo - follows reports that crew based in Shanghai were paid a quarter of what their New Zealand colleagues were paid and received a third of their away from home allowances.
Last year, 59 of the 64 Chinese crew wrote to Air New Zealand complaining of inequitable work conditions and having their meal allowance restricted to the hotel at which they stayed and one Chinese restaurant.
An undated letter reportedly written by the Shanghai crew to an Air NZ manager appeals for better employment conditions, including human rights and freedom.
In an internal memo to the Shanghai-based crew last Friday, Air NZ Shanghai manager Darrin Curtis said: ‘‘I know that some of you are frustrated at the apparent lack of movement with your pay review. I can assure you this is being given top priority.''
On the issue of meal allowances, he said: ‘‘Our intention is to issue credit cards . . . we should see crew being issued their credit cards after training next week.''
Presently, the crew's allowance is tied to crew members having their meals at either Dragon Boat restaurant or the Crowne Plaza Hotel when they are in Auckland, and they do not get the money if they do not eat there.
Other Air NZ crew receive $175 cash in the hand for every day they are away from home.
Air NZ has warned its crew against talking with media since reports about their pay gap.
In Mr Curtis' first email to the crew when the story broke, he said: ‘‘No-one in the crew base is authorised to talk to the media.''
He advised the crew against discussing media reports with passengers but ‘‘do listen to what people are saying around them''.
