Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has gained international and national support for its stand against management plans to outsource labour at the Ports of Auckland.

Maritime Union Auckland Branch Local 13 President Garry Parsloe says outsourcing and contracting out are regarded by maritime workers around the world as a tool for attacking wages, conditions and job security.

“That is why maritime workers at the Ports of Auckland now have global commitments of solidarity and support for our battle against outsourcing.”

He says last week’s meeting of the International Transport Workers’ Federation in Berlin, Germany, offered its backing to the Maritime Union of New Zealand and its members at Ports of Auckland and passed a resolution of support.

“This is basically the top level of organized labour representing global maritime workers who have lined up behind us, as they are not prepared to allow outsourcing and contracting out be used against workers in a major port such as Auckland.”

The ITF meeting was attended by Mr Parsloe and Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood, along with global representatives of dock workers and seafarers including the Maritime Union of Australia and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (North America).

Mr Parsloe is convener of the New Zealand ITF affiliated unions who have also announced their support for the Maritime Union. These unions include MUNZ, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU), EPMU, National Distribution Union, New Zealand Merchant Service Guild and Aviation and Marine Engineers Association.

In addition the ITF Offshore Taskforce Group representing global offshore oil and gas workers has offered their support.

“The Maritime Union has also secured the backing of the international Mining and Maritime Unions which met last month in the United States of America.”

Mr Parsloe says the national affiliates of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions have pledged their support to the Maritime Union, meaning that the Maritime Union had massive international and nationwide backing.

He says in short the Ports of Auckland management must reconsider their position on outsourcing if they are to avoid major repercussions.

Mr Parsloe says that the current Collective Agreement between Ports of Auckland management and the Maritime Union already has provisions for labour flexibility to meet the peaks and troughs of shipping.

The ITF comprises 751 unions representing over 4,600,000 transport workers in 154 countries.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says employers and Government agencies appear to be turning a blind eye to unsafe working conditions in New Zealand ports.

He says there have been ongoing feedback from workers that paints a picture of a decline in standards in many ports.

Mr Fleetwood says that the recession and increasing competition for available cargo in New Zealand ports means many employers are cutting corners.

In the past week he had personally spoken to casual and permanent waterfront workers who have told him of increasing concerns around work practices.

There were instances of workers required to work 18 hour days with 6 hour rest periods, and workers are driving heavy cranes for long periods between rest or toilet breaks.

Incidents of serious injury or death already occurred in the industry and it appeared the lives of workers came second to profit levels in some cases.

“These conditions are getting back to a century ago, when workers presented themselves to the wharf and were selected by foremen for a days work.”

Mr Fleetwood says casual workers today would wait at home for a cellphone call for work, which often never came.

Some of the workers were being paid not much higher than the minimum wage and others were exploited by labour hire companies who took a substantial cut of wages for doing very little.

He says workers at the coal face were aware of dangerous work practices, but the consequences of raising safety issues on the job would ensure those who spoke out would be unlikely to gain future employment.

“Casual workers and those workers outside union coverage or in company unions will often not raise these issues as they do not want to be singled out and lose work.”

“The Maritime Union is putting employers on notice that there will be stoppages if health and safety is compromised to gain competitive advantage.”

Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union will seek advice on legal action against Government agencies responsible for maritime and waterfront safety, as well as employers, if there was a death or injury on the job due to bad practices.

He recently attended an International Transport Federation dock workers meeting in Mumbai, India, where reports showed this was an international issue, and co-ordinated action between global transport unions was likely.

The Maritime Union says the National Government’s plan to act as a compulsory recruitment agency for McDonalds fast food chain is a travesty.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has described an agreement between WINZ and McDonalds that will provide up to 7000 unemployed workers for the fast-food chain’s growth plans over the next five years.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the scheme has two beneficiaries – a Government with a failing jobs policy, and a global corporation that will suck profits out of New Zealand.

He says the scheme is condemning working class young people to a dead end future.

“The fact is that for most people, working in these jobs is not a career path, it is a low-wage, casualized trap.”

He says he is interested how many children of National Party MP’s are being sent off to develop their careers as burger makers.

Mr Hanson says that claims that such “McJobs” will provide a career path are similar to the burgers.

“They always look good in the ads but when you eat them they never live up to the promises.”

Mr Hanson says that thousands of skilled jobs in manufacturing are being demolished, and freezes in funding for polytech places will keep young people out of training.

He says young New Zealanders should have the opportunity to work in areas like the maritime industry or the fishing industry for decent wages.

“Yet what we see is underpaid and often exploited overseas crews working in New Zealand waters while local people are shovelled towards the dole or the chip fryer.”

Mr Hanson says the current scenario is that New Zealand is going to have a massive low-wage sector that would breed enormous social divisions and problems.

He says secure, wellpaid jobs have long been under attack in New Zealand, as profits ballooned but workers saw their incomes shrink.

“Under the current Government we are only seeing two areas of employment growth, prison staff and fast food, if this is a success I’d like to see what a failure looks like.”

Mr Hanson says the toll of casual jobs, multiple jobs, irregular hours and shift work in a “24 hour society” was causing massive social inequality and disruption to family and community life, leading to stress, health issues, crime and family breakdown.

The Maritime Union says that protection for casual workers in the economic recession is a major focus for 2009.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the Union is interested in meeting with the incoming Minister of Labour in the new National-led Government to discuss the plight of casual workers.

He says it is important that casual workers are not left out of plans to provide security to workers in a recession.

“Both main parties are committed to measures to protect incomes in the case of redundancy in the recession period. The Maritime Union wants to ensure casual workers are not missed out.”

Mr Hanson says when unemployment grows, those workers in casual jobs will be hit hardest and hit first.

The Union had a two step plan, the first goal being to work for permanent, secure jobs, and the second goal being to ensure any casual workers received support and protection.

Mr Hanson says the flow of skilled workers to Australia will increase in a recession unless the maritime industry offered career paths especially for young people, based around secure jobs, training and stability.

“Casualization is putting the future of many young people in jeopardy, and many workers who have been in the industry for years are still in the casualization trap.”

He says a casualization review started by Labour and New Zealand First should be continued by the incoming Government in order to provide continuity and to address an ongoing structural problem in the New Zealand economy.

“Mr Key has indicated he wants an inclusive approach and the Maritime Union would say that a good test of this will be whether this serious issue is addressed.”

“The Maritime Union sees a top priority as secure jobs in the maritime industry, and all sectors of the New Zealand economy. A casualized, low-skilled workforce can only disadvantage New Zealand and the Maritime Union are committed to a secure, high-skill permanent workforce in New Zealand’s maritime industry.”

The Maritime Union says that action must be taken to protect both local jobs and overseas workers in New Zealand industries after recent comments from Opposition immigration spokesperson Lockwood Smith about overseas workers caused an uproar.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says a progressive downward pressure on wages, conditions and local jobs is spreading throughout large areas of the New Zealand economy, including the horticulture and viticulture sector.

“We are very aware of this problem in the fishing industry and with flag of convenience shipping, and also with attempts to displace waterfront labour.”

He says the use of cross-border, short-term labour sourced from ultra-low wage economies is a major threat to workers in New Zealand and around the world.

“This system is being used by employers and Governments around the world as part of free trade to generate profits regardless of the effect on workers and society.”

Mr Hanson says the recent comments by National Party immigration spokesperson Lockwood Smith about overseas workers in the horticulture and viticulture industry showed a disturbing attitude.

“There is no doubt that there is a divide and rule approach by employers which will be promoted by the National Party, who obviously see these overseas workers as production units who are not entitled to either dignity or good treatment.”

Mr Hanson says employment agreements for overseas workers need to be prepared and signed before they come to New Zealand.

“Any employer who requires imported labour should be required to allow inspection of accommodation and conditions, agree to a 30-hour minimum payment and offer pay above minimum rates to skilled workers, prior to approval to bring workers in.”

Unions should be directly involved from the start of any application to ensure that these workers are provided with rights and protections.

Mr Hanson says the same system should apply to the fishing industry.

“Over the last generation, a huge numbers of foreign workers having been employed in New Zealand waters with the promises of training being dismissed by some New Zealand fishing companies.”

“There needs to be regulations that provide young New Zealand workers with training and a pathway to a career in fishing.”

Mr Hanson says there is a definite need to examine the financial returns producers are receiving and measure this against workers terms and conditions of work in the industry.

He says the massive rise in food prices in the last year, especially with fresh produce, was not reflected in the wages and conditions of workers in the industry.

“It is a travesty that in a food producing country like New Zealand, workers cannot afford to buy fresh food.”

“We are of no doubt that the payment of a living wage would bring New Zealand workers into the industry, and still leave room for Pacific Island workers. The Government needs to take a firmer line on conditions and wages paid to these workers.”

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has warned against the takeover of New Zealand ports after shipping giant COSCO announced its interest in buying into New Zealand ports this week.

The Chinese state owned multinational corporation COSCO is one of the world’s largest shipping lines.

Maritime Union spokesperson Victor Billot says the Union is opposed to handing control of ports over to global operators.

Mr Billot says that the takeover of New Zealand ports by global operators will lead to “ports of convenience”.

He says there is ongoing pressure for privatization, attacks on Unions and casualization, in “ports of convenience” around the world that are dominated by global operators.

Mr Billot says the Union is very concerned by trends overseas under free trade agreements for employers to bring in short-term, casual labour across borders.

“This process is one where multinational employers use workers against workers to attack wages and conditions.”

Mr Billot says problems were already present in “flag of convenience”, and some national flagged, shipping and fishing operations in New Zealand waters.

He says that Chinese state corporations have publicly stated in Australia they are interested in controlling the entire logistics chain from mines to rail to port to shipping, including the supply of labour for such operations.

Mr Billot says any rationalization of New Zealand ports must be planned and done in the interests of New Zealand.

“The takeover of an individual port by a shipping multinational could destabilize the entire industry and result in port rationalization being driven by mindless competition and market monopoly rather than a planned approach to benefit New Zealand.”

He says New Zealand as a trading nation should maintain control of its own maritime transport operations as far as practical.

New Zealand ports were largely owned by local government and returned profits to local communities rather than to overseas shareholders.

Problems with parochialism and duplication of infrastructure must be dealt with by a Government-led national ports plan, not sell offs which would create more chaos and instability in the industry.

The Maritime Union supported the Keep Our Port Public campaign in 2006 when global operator Hutchinson failed to gain a controlling stake in Ports of Lyttelton.