Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union says the publication of a report on the exploitation of overseas fishing crews in New Zealand waters by the Sunday Star Times today has “lifted the lid” on what is going on in the industry.
Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the union has been advocating for a complete clean up of the joint venture fishing industry for years to protect workers.
“It is good to see the New Zealand media finally shining the spotlight into some dark places.”
In recent years the joint venture fishing industry had seen a string of sinkings, drownings, industrial accidents, reports of violence and abuse, health and safety violations, ship jumpings, appalling work conditions and failures to honour employment and wage agreements.
Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union wants a full audit of the industry, including the standard of vessels and opening the wages books.
The use of employment agents in the countries of origin for foreign crews meant the worst practices of Third World economies had become established in the New Zealand economy.
“This situation is what is known overseas as social dumping, or the exploitation of cross-border labour in a globalized economy.”
Mr Fleetwood says just because fishing vessels were operating off the New Zealand coast, that did not give operators a right to ignore New Zealand standards of employment.
“The New Zealand Government has taken an ineffective approach, simply because there are big profits in it for the companies.”
He says the overseas fishing crews are not members of the Maritime Union but the union would continue to offer help if asked as the overseas crews had no other effective representation.
Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has assisted crew members on many occasions, organizing repatriation of crew members and the payment of outstanding wages.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand is affiliated to the ITF, which is organizing internationally to improve conditions for seafarers and fishing crews.
Mr Fleetwood says the long term answer is to employ New Zealand workers on good wages and conditions in the fishing industry, rather than allowing the worst practices to continue.
“New Zealand workers have a right to jobs in their own fishing industry, especially at a time of high unemployment.”

The Maritime Union of New Zealand says the decision by KiwiRail to offshore production of rail wagons is an indictment on the National Government and KiwiRail management.

KiwiRail has announced a $29 million tender for 300 rail wagons has gone to China CNR Corporation.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says maritime workers had supported the campaign by the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) to build New Zealand rolling stock in New Zealand workshops.

He says the idea that the move to offshore production would “save money” was idiotic.

“Any money saved by the public enterprise KiwiRail going for the cheap labour option in China will be required to pay for unemployment benefits, for our increased overseas debt, and for the loss of taxes and loss of spin off benefits for the local economy in New Zealand.”

“This decision will lead to loss of job opportunities, and is another blow to New Zealand’s ability to undertake high skill industrial production.”

Mr Fleetwood says that the Government bears responsibility and should front up to affected workers and communities.

“They change laws to suit Hollywood movie moguls and sink vast amounts of money into trendy sectors, but will not back New Zealand workers and the future of New Zealand industry.”

Mr Fleetwood says the message is clear for workers.

“The John Key Government is prepared to wind down New Zealand’s infrastructure and industrial capability in vital areas. There is no leadership in shipping or ports, and now no leadership in rail.”

“They call themselves a National Government, but they are governing in the interests of overseas business, not New Zealand’s national interest.”

Mr Fleetwood says that New Zealand’s entrapment in free trade agreements would further limit our ability for local industry and reduce New Zealand to an economic colony.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand says that too many workers being killed or injured on overseas vessels in and around New Zealand waters.

Five crew are confirmed dead and 17 missing presumed dead after the No. 1 In Sung sank at around 6.30am Monday 13 December, 2,700km south-east of Bluff.

The Korean-owned and operated fishing vessel visited Bluff annually from December 2006 to take on stores as it headed to the Ross Sea to fish for Antarctic toothfish.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says while it is too early to comment on the reasons behind the sinking of the No. 1 In Sung, the Union was concerned that this was the second such incident in the past few months.

The Union offered its condolences to the families of the dead and its support to the survivors.

Mr Fleetwood said that the focus had to be on stopping disasters from happening.

“It shouldn’t be happening. We shouldn’t have to be pulling people out of the water. We have to ask in the 21st century why these incidents are now a regular event in our waters and nearby oceans.”

He said that as New Zealand search and rescue and New Zealand vessels were involved in rescue efforts, it was important that a New Zealand based inquiry was held to find out what had gone wrong.

In August 2010, three crew died after the Oyang 70 sank off the South Island.

Eyewitness reports indicate that an overweight net being pulled into the Oyang 70 caused it to destabilize and sink.

In another incident, two crew died from asphyxiation aboard the bulk carrier TPC Wellington in the Port of Whangarei in May 2010.

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

A string of deaths, injuries, complaints of abuse and desertions have occurred over recent years.

The Maritime Union is calling for the abandonment of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, describing the free trade plan as a “sell out to global corporations.”

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the great majority of New Zealanders and even our political representatives have little understanding of the implications of free trade deals like the TPPA.

“Free trade agreements such as the TPPA are giving global corporations more power to do as they want regardless of what is good for the majority of people.”

“Decisions that affect all of us are being made behind closed doors in free trade stitch ups.”

The Maritime Union is actively supporting a number of campaigns including TPPWatch and New Zealand Not For Sale that are calling for a halt to the TPPA and public accountability.

Mr Fleetwood says the free trade agreements harm the democratic rights of workers who make up the majority.

“These agreements are eroding democracy, in favour of control of our economy and society by powerful global corporations.”

He says that maritime workers work in the first globalized industry, the maritime industry, and understand what unregulated “free trade” means.

One example he says is the so-called “open coast” policy, that allows overseas owned and crewed vessels to carry New Zealand cargo between New Zealand ports, and which had devastated New Zealand shipping.

“As a result New Zealand is now a remote island trading nation that has allowed its shipping capability to be placed in jeopardy.”

The fishing industry had also had countless problems over the years with the abuse of overseas crew on overseas vessels fishing New Zealand waters.

Mr Fleetwood says the use of Flag of Convenience vessels and the creation of Ports of Convenience were a warning of where free trade deals could lead a small nation like New Zealand.

“One of the issues the Maritime Union has raised include the use of short-term cross border labour being used, which is becoming increasingly common around the world.”

“This is used to drive down wages and conditions and create a casualized, insecure workforce, hurting both the local workers and the imported workers.”

Other concerns of the Maritime Union include the privatization of assets such as ports and transport.

“New Zealand should be purchasing goods from local and public enterprises, and ensuring we maintain a balanced economy, with secure, high paid jobs.”

Mr Fleetwood says that New Zealand’s economy will always be based on trade, so the Union supported a system of global fair trade that worked to ensure secure jobs and balanced economic development.

He says there is a growing global movement against the deregulated free market and free trade policies that had caused economic disasters such as the global financial meltdown of the last several years.

Leading international mining and maritime unions representing millions of workers around the world are meeting in Auckland this week.