Maritime Union of New Zealand

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.

A public meeting in South Dunedin on Monday 12 July to support the campaign to build new trains for Auckland in New Zealand workshops attracted around 50 people.

The message they heard was that Dunedin people will have to stand up and fight to make this goal a reality, with this years local body elections and next years national elections providing an opportunity to apply political pressure.

Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) Hillside Branch Secretary Les Ingram, who works at Hillside, said an estimated 500 to 1200 extra jobs and nearly $500 million dollars in income were at stake.

“Dunedin cannot afford to let opportunities like this pass it by if we want to provide jobs for local people in the future.”

The RMTU were continuing their campaign and wanted to get across to the public how building rail units locally would provide a massive boost in jobs and income.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) is supporting the RMTU campaign and MUNZ General Secretary Joe Fleetwood, visiting from Wellington, addressed the meeting on free trade issues.

He told the audience that they needed to get behind the Hillside workers campaign and demand that politicians listen.

He said the push for free trade policies was largely responsible for the situation where jobs were threatened due to unbalanced economic policies.

Both speakers agreed that the notion that New Zealand did not have the expertise to do the rail work was discredited nonsense.

Mr Ingram detailed previous work done at Hillside and his view was backed up by a retired engineer in the audience who recounted the many large scale projects other Dunedin firms have undertaken in the past.

The meeting was chaired by Victor Billot of the Alliance Party who said that highly skilled, high value jobs that would be created through building trains locally were exactly what was needed in New Zealand at the current time.

The approach of the National Government was reprehensible, he said.