Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand says secure jobs, improved wages and conditions, national sovereignty, and major improvements to New Zealand’s maritime and transport policy are its election priorities.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says there is an immediate need for an effective, efficient and environmentally friendly transport and logistics chain.

He says that the potential privatization and overseas buy up of New Zealand ports is a major threat to New Zealand remaining in control of its supply chain.

The current Government had no plan for coastal shipping, and the stranding of the Rena and problems with Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs) in the fishing industry were glaring examples of how deregulation and falling standards were reducing New Zealand to the status of a developing nation.

“The National Government has focussed its entire transport strategy on putting more trucks on the road, when we need to be moving in the opposite direction of rail and coastal shipping to provide low impact, environmentally aware transport for the future.”

Mr Fleetwood says that worker’s wages and conditions were under enormous pressure, and unemployment was wrecking the lives of many, including the vulnerable young.

“The reality is that most workers in jobs are working longer, harder and for relatively less, and at the same time we see tens of thousands excluded from work and then attacked for being beneficiaries.”

The working class in New Zealand today are underpaid and over-worked, with high unemployment, casualization and a shrinking share of the economic pie, says Mr Fleetwood.

“This must be addressed not only by economic growth, but by increasing the share of wealth produced going to the producers – the workers.”

Casualization of jobs was creating massive problems in working class communities and was being ignored by the Government.

The third concern of the Union was how New Zealand’s sovereignty was being undermined.

New Zealanders must have the right to make our own economic and political choices, says Mr Fleetwood.

“This right is undermined by free trade deals such as the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, and John Key’s proposed asset sales that will remove our ability to determine our collective future as a community and nation.”

New Zealanders were in serious danger of becoming tenants in their own country if the National Party asset sales and privatization agenda was allowed to continue.

The full Maritime Union election statement could be viewed online at http://www.munz.org.nz/2011-election/

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the release of the Labour Party’s policy for employment relations today.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says it is important that the policy has focussed on providing protections for workers in a time of global economic turmoil.

“The Maritime Union position is that we need to pay more attention to the job security and stability for workers, and this policy has taken these issues on board.”

He says the announcement of statutory minimum standards for redundancy is essential given the fact that the employment outlook would be worsening due to the international economic situation.

“The Maritime Union will be arguing that these minimum standards need to be realistic for workers.”

Mr Hanson says the Union is pleased to hear the Government will be working to improve the situation of workers in precarious employment, who are threatened by casualization and contracting out.

He says this is a legacy of the 1990s National Government that was still causing problems.

“We appreciate the recent work that has been done in this area by the Government and New Zealand First, and immediate action is needed to deal with the problem of insecure jobs.”

He says the Union looks forward to further specifics in this area which is a major concern to maritime workers.

Mr Hanson says the retraining policy, which extends financial support to workers made redundant after five years in the workforce, is a positive move.

He says the indexing of the minimum wage to increases in the cost of living and average wage is a welcome move that will ensure low paid workers are not left behind, but the base line level needs to increase to at least $15 per hour.

The Maritime Union also supports the new policy’s extension of the right to strike when employers initiate restructuring/outsourcing which undermines a collective agreement, as this had been a problem in the maritime industry.

Mr Hanson says support for multi-employer collective agreements is a positive, as this will reduce the downward pressure on wages and conditions in industries such as the port industry.

“The Maritime Union would like to move towards one-port agreements where workers are no longer the meat in the sandwich in a hyper-competitive environment.”

He says moves to stop freeloading by non-union members on union-negotiated agreements are also fair, but cautioned that there needs to be greater regulation of whether unions are operating at arms length from employers, as in the maritime industry there were several unions that he believed were not acting independently but it was hard to prove.

The Maritime Union has announced its priorities for the 2008 election.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the Union wants to see the return of a Labour-led Government to continue what he describes as incremental but positive moves to develop the maritime and transport industries.

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union is strongly endorsing the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) election policy document, especially regarding key issues such as wages, employment relations, health and safety, ACC, and transport.

He says the CTU has identified specific maritime issues such as amending section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act to ensure that domestic coastal shipping is not disadvantaged in relation to foreign ships, and opposing commitments on Mode 4 in bilateral and regional free trade agreements relating to the movement of cross-border labour.

“We want to see the return of a Labour-led Government which has the support of pro-worker minor parties in an MMP environment.”

Mr Hanson says it is a time of great challenges in a trade-driven industry.

He says it is a mixed outlook for the industry with potential threats to jobs coming from an international downturn in trade caused by the current financial crisis, but potential for expansion in the offshore oil and gas industry.

“A move back to a National Government at a time of international recession would create a repeat of the 1990s in our industry which saw the decimation of job security, a lack of planning and mindless deregulation that has caused a lot of downstream problems.”

Specific goals for the Maritime Union:

• New Zealand shipping. The Maritime Union endorses the Sea Change document but believes that rapidly evolving circumstances require a more ambitious approach. Cabotage for New Zealand shipping is not off the table. The commitment to New Zealand shipping in the Sea Change plan is seen as a good first step. It is back on the agenda for Australia and the option for a trans-Tasman cabotage arrangement could be considered. (NB Cabotage is where domestic shipping is given priority on coastal shipping routes.)

• Casualization needs to be addressed. The casualization review initiated by the Labour Government and New Zealand First has started the ball rolling. The long term solution can only lie in a regulated labour market. Workers are not commodities. The flow on effect of a casualized workforce is an unskilled, demoralized workforce with low productivity. The social problems caused by casualization are profound. A national register of trained, bona fide maritime workers is one option to ensure national standards and quality jobs are a priority.

• Free trade. The Maritime Union has criticized free trade arrangements on a number of levels. The ownership and control of New Zealand’s maritime and transport infrastructure is in danger of being transferred to overseas conglomerates and free trade will undermine investment regulations. The use of short-term casual labour being imported across borders to drive down wages and conditions is a major international issue that is not yet fully appreciated in New Zealand. The role of free trade agreements in undermining local control and secure work is a serious concern. The Maritime Union notes the relevant criticisms of free trade from the Green Party and Alliance Party.

• Port rationalization. The Maritime Union views the current system of ports engaged in mutually destructive competition as unsustainable. However the Union rejects privatization or corporate monopolies promoted by vested interests as the answer. A national ports policy needs to drive the modernization process, to get past the parochial approach of ports, and which retains New Zealand ownership and control of ports.

• Training. The lack of new entrants into the industry especially in growth areas such as offshore oil and gas is a serious concern. The young people of New Zealand have the right to training and careers in their own industry. The Maritime Union supports industry suggestions around the establishment of a training facility for this area. A career path for young workers is vital for both the industry and for New Zealand’s future.

• Health and safety. Phase out of Methyl Bromide.

• Public ownership. Support the buyback of rail and ferries. Support public ownership of ports.

• Kiwisaver. Support current Kiwisaver system while ensuring national superannuation is not downgraded.