The Maritime Union says the confirmed death of three Indonesian crew members missing after sinking of a fishing vessel Oyang 70 is a tragedy.

The Korean-owned Oyang 70 sank early this morning approximately 400 nautical miles off the Otago coast.

In addition to the three deaths, three crew members are still missing and 45 crew members were picked up by another fishing vessel the Amaltal Atlantis. Rescue operations are underway to find the missing men.

The Oyang 70 departed from Dunedin on the morning of 14 August.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the sinking is a maritime disaster and initial reports that the vessel had capsized in good weather conditions were extremely disturbing.

The Maritime Union would be working with the International Transport Workers Federation to provide any assistance it could to crew members, and also to find out why the sinking occurred.

At 38 years of age the Oyang 70 was one of the oldest fishing vessels in New Zealand waters.

The sinking comes just a few months after two overseas crew members died from asphyxiation aboard the bulk carrier TPC Wellington in the Port of Whangarei in May 2010.

Mr Fleetwood says the Union has encountered ongoing problems experienced by overseas crew on merchant and fishing vessels, including health and safety problems.

Oyang 70 is owned by Sajo Oyang Corporation, a company incorporated in Korea, and is registered on the Korean Shipping Registry and flies the Korean flag.

Oyang 70 has operated in New Zealand waters since the 1980s. It was convicted of spilling oil in Nelson harbour last year.

It is chartered by Southern Storm (2007) Ltd who have offices in Christchurch.

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The Maritime Union has a message for the Government: instead of jailing New Zealanders in containers, it would be better to have them working on the containers by rebuilding coastal shipping.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins announced today a “container unit” will be set up at Rimutaka Prison to house surging numbers of prisoners, the latest embarrassing step in New Zealand’s failure to confront the real issues behind crime.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says New Zealand workers have been forced out of maritime employment in their own country by allowing overseas labour to be exploited on the New Zealand coastal waters.

He says that due to the “open coast” policy introduced by National in the 1990s New Zealand had seen its shipping industry taken apart, while many other countries reserved their domestic merchant shipping and fisheries for local industry.

Mr Hanson says the best way to reduce crime and social breakdown is stable employment for New Zealand workers and their families, which were under attack from job losses, casualization, low wages, shift work and increasing economic and social pressures.

“New Zealanders needs secure jobs, not jail cells.”

During the June 2009 quarter, the number of people unemployed reached 138,000, according to Statistics New Zealand. In the last year, the number of unemployed has grown by 48,000.

Mr Hanson says the Government has canned any investment in coastal shipping in favour of irresponsibly pushing heavy trucking, which will clog highways and push up greenhouse gas emissions.

He says the fishing industry is also another “disaster area” for jobs.

He says recent revelations in the TV documentary “The Great New Zealand Fishing Scandal” showed how New Zealand’s natural resources had been plundered by overseas fishing vessels working in joint ventures with New Zealand quota holders.

The use of underpaid and often mistreated overseas crews kept costs down for the operators, while New Zealanders had been forced out of the industry.

“The Government of New Zealand should be doing something about jobs for New Zealanders. There is nothing to proud of in the new low they have sunk to where we can incarcerate New Zealanders in shipping containers but not have them working in our maritime industry.”

Mr Hanson says “cabotage” on the New Zealand coast would reserve coastal shipping for New Zealand shipping, and the “New Zealandization” of the fishing industry would mean the same in that sector.

This would mean greater ability to regulate and ensure that New Zealand workers had employment opportunities in their own industry with secure, unionized jobs and decent wages and conditions.

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The Maritime Union says information revealed in a New Zealand documentary on the fishing industry must be followed up by a Government inquiry.

The documentary The Great New Zealand Fishing Scandal by investigative journalist Guy Henderson screened on Sky last night and today, and covered developments in the industry since the 1990s.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the documentary was accurate and he believes there is much more to be uncovered.

He says fishing industry bosses are driven by “unconstrained greed” and Government had kowtowed to powerful private interests.

“History will judge the actions of some of these people and the industry as a whole.”

He says the treatment of overseas crew on foreign and joint venture “flag of convenience” vessels had been appalling and was an ongoing problem.

Mr Hanson says the system is being used to drive New Zealand workers out of the industry.

He says he is disturbed at how some quota holders, including Maori quota holders, were using overseas crews and refusing to train young New Zealand workers in this industry especially at a time of increasing unemployment.

There were strong connections globally between illegal fishing, exploitation and abuse of workers, and the destruction of the marine environment and fish stocks.

He says the cost of local fish was a concern as overseas demand priced it out of the reach of ordinary New Zealanders, and prices of up to $39 per kilogram needed explanation.

He was concerned about the importation of low quality catfish from China and Vietnam to New Zealand, as well as the processing of New Zealand fish overseas.

The quota system was not providing enough protection for species such as orange roughy.

Mr Hanson says it is standard practice for ship owners to crew vessels with officers and crew of different nationalities, with crew members picked up by corrupt labour hire agencies in developing countries.

Foreign seafarers were often so desperate for work they signed up on oppressive terms and conditions, often went unpaid and were away from their home and families for sometimes years.

There had been numerous documented cases of crew members not being paid, being underpaid, having their wages eaten up by agency fees, and being verbally and physically abused.

Mr Hanson noted the case of 33-year old Korean fisherman Vo Minh Que, who was drowned in January 2004 in waters 70 kilometres south of Stewart Island.

The victim was flipped overboard from the ‘Tasnui’ by a trawl wire after equipment failure and had bobbed in the ocean nearby to the vessel while a “series of hideously inadequate and half-pie” rescue attempts were made, according to the Southland Times (2 October 2004), whose editorial comment described the incident as a “disgrace” and a “squalid tragedy.”

The Maritime New Zealand report on the drowning of Mr Vo noted how the poor condition of the vessel and the lack of safety gear or procedures contributed to the fatality – problems that had previously been reported by Maritime New Zealand but not acted upon.

“The Maritime Union has done what it can to assist in the incidents that we have come across, this is done entirely on a solidarity basis simply because these crew members have no one else to look after their interests.”

He says the industry is incapable of policing itself and the Government and bureaucracy saw problems with crews as an embarrassment which it was not motivated to do anything about.

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union had lobbied the Government hard for stronger protections for workers in the industry and this had resulted in some improved regulations around pay and conditions.

But he says that he is concerned about the enforcement of these rules because problems continued to crop up on a regular basis.

Mr Hanson says if New Zealanders want to see the reality of free trade promoted by the Government, they should look no further than the fishing industry a few miles off their own coast.

“We don’t have to go to the Third World to see Third World conditions – the Third World conditions have come to us.”

“The fishing industry and its treatment of overseas crews is a graphic demonstration of the race to the bottom in working conditions. Add this to the damage to fishing stocks and we really have a social and environmental travesty out of sight, out of mind.”

He says the Maritime Union will continue to campaign on the issue which was also the focus of a campaign by the International Transport Workers Federation, comprised of 654 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries.

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The Maritime Union has slammed comments by Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley about employment in New Zealand’s fishing industry, and say they make a bad joke out of the Government’s commitment to protect jobs.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says Mr Heatley has publicly admitted that New Zealand jobs are not a priority in the New Zealand fishing industry.
The comments were made at Parliament’s primary production select committee, when Mr Heatley was being questioned about the objectives in the 2030 Fisheries Plan.
Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union is angry and perturbed at the lack of any forethought by many of the major players in the industry and the irresponsible role of the Government.
“We do accept some fishing companies are being responsible and fishing their quota with state of the art vessels and New Zealand fishermen, but unfortunately they are fishing in competition with other New Zealand companies in joint ventures with foreign operators.”
Mr Hanson says joint venture foreign charter vessels catching New Zealand quota use and often exploit foreign crews from low wage economies.
He says promises to use New Zealand workers in the industry have been broken.
“The fishing industry is one of our most valuable assets, and New Zealand workers have the right to work in this industry as well as the responsibility to manage this globally endangered resource.”
Mr Hanson says if the private sector is unable or unwilling to train and employ young New Zealand workers, the Government should be acquiring the vessels and training New Zealand crews to fish our waters.

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The Maritime Union of New Zealand and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) are investigating a shipjumping incident in Dunedin where nine Indonesian seafarers left the fishing trawler Marinui on Friday 10 March.

ITF New Zealand co-ordinator Kathy Whelan says the Union has been in touch with the Ministry of Immigration about the case, and ITF representatives will try to speak to the fishermen at Auckland Airport before they are sent home tomorrow.

She says she is extremely concerned about the increasing numbers of foreign seafarers leaving their vessels in New Zealand ports, in this case claiming they were subjected to 24 hour shifts with no breaks, two hour sleep breaks, and physical abuse.

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union and the International Transport Workers Federation, as well as the Council of Trade Unions, were recently given assurances by the Minister of Immigration that problems in the fishing industry would be fixed.

“We want to get the real facts on the matter, as we are always seeing these shipjumping workers spirited out of the country before the matter is properly investigated.”

He says the Maritime Union position is that the employment of overseas fishermen in New Zealand waters needs to be closely monitored and regulated by New Zealand Immigration officials in their country of origin.

“This is the only way to make sure these exploited workers are employed on proper terms and conditions at New Zealand market rates with proper employment agreements, and that they are not subject to corrupt practices like having to pay ‘fees’ for their job.”

For further information contact:

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson on 04 801 7614 or 021 390585

ITF New Zealand Co-ordinator Kathy Whelan on 04 801 7613 or 021 666405

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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.”

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The Maritime Union of New Zealand says a free trade deal signed with ASEAN nations including the military dictatorship of Myanmar is bad for workers.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says a free trade deal including Myanmar will boost the violently anti-worker regime in Myanmar and threatened workers rights.

He says the Maritime Union has many concerns about the treatment of Burmese maritime workers, some of whom work in New Zealand waters, and who have been mistreated and abused in the past.

The Maritime Union has previously spoken out about the murder of Ko Moe Naung, a Seafarers’ Union of Burma (Myanmar) organizer in the Ranong region, who was killed by Burmese military forces on 19 May 2005.

The Seafarers’ Union of Burma is a fellow affiliate with the Maritime Union of New Zealand to the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

Ko Moe was tortured to death over three hours during interrogation at 8-Mile Village Army Base LIR 431 in Kawthaung, Burma.

Ko Moe was targeted by the Myanmar regime as he was a dedicated trade union leader, who was organising Burmese fishermen and migrant workers from Burma at the Ranong area.

Mr Hanson says free trade deals mean that New Zealand is now effectively endorsing dictatorships such as Burma which murder workers such as Ko Moe Naung.

He says the Maritime Union has a long history of opposing repressive regimes, refusing to work on American nuclear warships in New Zealand harbours and supporting the struggle against apartheid.

“New Zealand waterfront workers refused to load pig iron for Japan before World War 2, which they were denounced for, but shortly afterwards the pig iron was coming back towards us as bullets.”

Mr Hanson says sometimes doing the right thing comes with a cost.

He says the Maritime Union is extremely concerned that free trade deals will mean the use of short term, casual labour imported across borders to drive down wages and conditions, a problem that is now occurring around the world.

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The Maritime Union of New Zealand has attacked plans by employers to bring in migrant labour into the seafood industry after mass layoffs in the same sector.

A week after Sealord confirmed it would axe 323 jobs from its Nelson mussel factory, two South Island seafood companies Talleys and Aotearoa Seafood have applied to import 100 migrant labourers.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says that the use of temporary labour being imported from overseas threatens local employment.

“It is utterly disgraceful that at a time when we have rising unemployment and surging living costs, employers are being allowed to knock the bottom out of the labour market.”

Mr Hanson says the key problem with finding workers was based around the poor wages paid in the local industry.

He says he is disturbed that Immigration authorities seem to have no understanding as to the social effects of the import of temporary labour.

“It is no exaggeration to say New Zealand is struggling with social problems caused by the lack of secure permanent jobs and some kind of career structure and future for young people.”

Mr Hanson says the use of short term workers imported from overseas disrupted local employment conditions, and opened up the overseas workers to exploitation.

“This is not the way to get a stable employment situation or a stable society.”

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union has predicted that under free trade agreements the use of temporary labour being imported across borders would increase to drive down wages and conditions in a “race to the bottom.”

“Not only are jobs being exported to poor countries to take advantage of powerless workers, now the reverse is happening with the cross border use of temporary workers being imported to drive down wages here.”

Mr Hanson says temporary cross-border labour was very different to immigration, and emphasized the Maritime Union was an internationalist Union that supported workers of all nations.

“In this case it is clear the problem lies with immigration authorities and employers.”

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The Maritime Union of New Zealand has added its voice to calls for the removal of foreign-crewed joint venture fishing vessels from New Zealand fisheries.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says he agrees with the common sense approach to the problem outlined by the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen.
“There is no need for foreign charter vessels to be working New Zealand waters. Removing overseas operators could boost local employment whilst at the same time allow for further cuts to quota to ensure future sustainability.”
He says crews on joint venture vessels don’t pay ACC or PAYE, and there have been ongoing concerns about the treatment of overseas fishing workers on board.
“Regulation is required for the protection of fish stocks, jobs and working conditions.”
Mr Hanson says the overfishing of New Zealand waters is an indictment of the failed approach of the past.
He says around 25 years ago when foreign joint ventures arrived in New Zealand waters, industry and Government welcomed them as the way forward for training of New Zealand fishermen and establishment of a New Zealand industry.
“Only a very small percentage of this promise came true. It turned out to be much easier to bring in cheap labour and cheap charterers, which meant bigger profits for the New Zealand partners.”
The removal of foreign joint ventures in favour of New Zealand fishing vessels would have immediate benefits for New Zealand process workers and fishermen, and could assist in the regeneration of overfished species.

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The Maritime Union says the new rules to improve wages and conditions for overseas fishing crews announced today are good news for workers.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the announcement means the industry will be brought into line with the rest of New Zealand business.

“Despite a co-ordinated campaign by special interests in the industry, the Government has made the right decision and the principled decision.”

Mr Hanson says the move will lead to improvements in conditions for overseas crew, meaning less cases of abuse and shipjumping.

“Local workers will once again be able to afford to seek work in the fishing industry.”

Mr Hanson says there is a lot of work that needs to be done but the groundwork is in place.

“The Maritime Union believes that this move is a positive one for the future of the New Zealand fishing industry and those who work in it.”

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