Maritime Union of New Zealand

Maritime Union members at the Ports of Auckland have ratified their collective employment agreement with Ports of Auckland.

The new agreement was ratified by a meeting of members at the Ports on Thursday 25 June 2009.

The agreement will be signed next week. Details of the agreement are being kept confidential.

The previous agreement had expired 30 November 2006 and had led to a series of industrial actions by members at the Port, including stopwork meetings.

It has been stressful time for Ports of Auckland members recently.

A restructuring announced by the Port Company in May 2009 will effectively close down the permanent workforce at Bledisloe Terminal.

Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says he believes that it is a good agreement in the current economic climate.

Ports of Auckland is wholly owned by Auckland Regional Holdings, the commercial arm of Auckland Regional Council.

The role of the port has been debated lately as business interests push for privatization. The chairman of the Ports of Auckland Board of Directors Gary Judd was recently replaced, and further complications for the Port include the new “supercity” proposal and redevelopment proposals for the waterfront area.

Maritime Union members at the Ports of Auckland have ratified their collective employment agreement with Ports of Auckland.

The new agreement was ratified by a meeting of members at the Ports on Thursday 25 June 2009. The agreement will be signed next week. Details of the agreement are being kept confidential.

The previous agreement had expired 30 November 2006 and had led to a series of industrial actions by members at the Port, including stopwork meetings.

It has been stressful time for Ports of Auckland members recently.

A restructuring announced by the Port Company in May 2009 will effectively close down the permanent workforce at Bledisloe Terminal.

Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says he believes that it is a good agreement in the current economic climate.

Ports of Auckland is wholly owned by Auckland Regional Holdings, the commercial arm of Auckland Regional Council.

The role of the port has been debated lately as business interests push for privatization. The chairman of the Ports of Auckland Board of Directors Gary Judd was recently replaced, and further complications for the Port include the new “supercity” proposal and redevelopment proposals for the waterfront area.

Check out the new campaign website for all Ports of Auckland workers and supporters.

The Maritime Union says a plan to make Ports of Auckland workers redundant will be met with a strong response.

A national executive meeting of the Maritime Union held in Wellington today endorsed national action in support of the workers whose jobs are threatened at Ports of Auckland.

Representatives of the Auckland workers addressed the national meeting which unanimously endorsed industrial and legal strategies to fight job losses.

Ports of Auckland management announced on Tuesday 12 May they are effectively shutting down the permanent workforce at the Bledisloe Terminal at the Ports of Auckland with the loss of 28 jobs.

Maritime Union of New Zealand Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says industrial action is inevitable unless the Port Company changes direction on destroying livelihoods.

“Many of these workers are under 35 – they have young families and heavy responsibilities, and we are not going to let them be cut adrift by an irresponsible management. Behind every redundancy is a family, children, mortgages, and the inevitable financial and personal hardships.”

He says the Port Company has a social responsibility to its workers and was showing a short-term mindset.

“This so-called restructuring is about attacking the workforce, terms and conditions, and the Union will not allow the company to get away with it.”

The Maritime Union says international support from global maritime and transport workers is being organized.

Members of the Maritime Union are staging a protest today on board a vessel at the Ports of Auckland.

Maritime Union Auckland Seafarers Branch Secretary Garry Parsloe says the crew members started their protest on the trans-Tasman freighter Rotoiti at the Ports of Auckland Bledisloe Terminal at 7am this morning Saturday 4 November 2006.

He says the crew are drawing attention to the fact that when the Rotoiti is withdrawn from service on 26 November, it will be the end of the last New Zealand crewed ship working on the trans-Tasman trade.

“The vessel is going yet the cargo remains, but the jobs are threatened, and these New Zealand seafarers want to have some work in their own trans-Tasman trade.”

Mr Parsloe says it was not a redundancy situation as the work was still there, but would be going to other vessels – none of which have any New Zealand crew members.

He says the crew want jobs for New Zealand seafarers on the trans-Tasman trade and were staging their action to get dialogue with the employer.

The vessel is currently owned by international shipping line Hapag Lloyd but since 1999, crew have been under Anglo-Eastern ship management.

Mr Parsloe says the situation is a shocking one, considering the importance of shipping to New Zealand as an economically and environmentally efficient transport mode.

“We are in a situation where New Zealand cargo is being carried, but there is no work for our own people.”

New Zealand seafarers had worked on the Rotoiti since 1975.

He says that the national conference of the Maritime Union in October had committed to action on the issue.

The Maritime Union had been in contact with overseas maritime unions for assistance with the matter.

The Maritime Union has challenged all shipping companies to recognize their social responsibility towards New Zealand crews, and has determined to maintain New Zealand seafarers on vessels that carry cargo on the trans-Tasman and international trade.