One option is to use staff from other agencies such as Customs, Prime Minister John Key said yesterday. He said the strikes would cause ‘‘significant disruption'' during school holidays.
The planned industrial action will affect the country's main domestic and international airports with three-hour strikes at Auckland and Wellington airports between July 20 and 27.
There will also be a ban on overtime and extra hours at those airports and at Christchurch airport.
The Cabinet was briefed on contingency options on Monday, but Mr Key declined to reveal what was considered.
‘‘There are options available to the Government,'' he said. ‘‘Everything is going to be done to minimise the disruption to tourists and New Zealanders.
‘‘One of the three unions has settled, so there is a core of specialist staff there.''Asked if temporary workers could be brought in from police and Customs to cover aviation security, Mr Key said, ‘‘potentially, yes''.
The strikes would not shut any airport, but would cause considerable delays unless other measures were taken, the Prime Minister said.
Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the collective agreement ended about a year ago.
‘‘There have been strong offers by the Civil Aviation Authority. If you compare it across the public sector, they can be seen at the upper end of the kind of offers we see in this area.
‘‘What you are seeing here is a strike notice that is designed to cause maximum disruption. Our hope is still that we can mediate this and have an amicable solution so it doesn't get to the position of strike.''
The vote to walk off the job came from workers on Monday after they failed to reach an agreement with the Aviation Security Service over pay rises and clawbacks in a new collective agreement.
The striking staff work for the Aviation Security Service, which is part of the Civil Aviation Authority and contracts workers at airports to screen passengers and carry out other surveillance services.
Up to 75% of its staff are members of the E tu and Public Service Association unions.
E tu aviation spokesman Kelvin Ellis said the workers did not want to take the industrial action, the first in 30 years, but felt they had no other option after almost a year of negotiations.
Mr Ellis said the strikes would probably have a ‘‘significant impact'' on screening times and might delay flights but he did not think they would result in cancellations.
Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Mike Richards said airport security would not be compromised by the strikes and contingency plans were in place. He hoped the issues could be resolved amicably.
Labour leader Andrew Little said the Government's threat to bring in police or Customs was ‘‘good old-fashioned National union-bashing''.
ACTION SCHEDULE
Auckland
July 20: 10am-1.30pm plus overtime/extra hours ban all day
July 25: 3.30pm-6.30pm plus overtime/ extra hours ban all day
July 27: 5.30am-8.30am plus overtime/ extra hours ban all day
Wellington
July 20: 10am-1.30pm plus overtime/extra hours ban all day
July 22: 3.30pm-6.30pm plus overtime/ extra hours ban all day
July 26: 5.30am-8.30am plus overtime/ extra hours ban all day
Christchurch
July 20: overtime/extra hours ban all day
July 25: overtime/extra hours ban all day
July 27: overtime/extra hours ban all day
