Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand supports the ILWU struggle for decent jobs at the Port of Longview.

We are appalled at the actions of police acting in collusion with multinational corporation EGT and the disgraceful attack on the ILWU protest.

Congratulations to all ILWU brothers and sisters for the active defence of decent jobs against predatory global corporates.

The Maritime Union has identified the New Zealand operations of one of the EGT partners and will be happy to register our strong protest to them and publicize their involvement in anti-union and anti-worker activities, if required. International solidarity is the key to defeating these attacks on working men and working women.

Please let us know if there is any way in which we can assist your struggle. Kia kaha tatau tatau – be strong, we are all one.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand extends its solidarity to ILWU Local 30 in Boron, California.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has congratulated maritime workers in USA and in Iraq for work stoppages on May Day (1 May) against the Iraq War.

More than 25,000 longshore workers at 29 west coast ports in the USA called an end to the war in Iraq on May 1 by staying at home. The workers were members of the ILWU, the waterfront union on the west coast of the USA, which has strong links to the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the action was supported by workers in many nations.

He says that maritime workers have always been strong supporters of internationalism and workers uniting across the world.

“The maritime industry is a global industry and maritime workers understand the importance of global solidarity. We have always been opposed to war, whether it was before World War Two when New Zealand waterfront workers refused to load pig iron for Japan, or when we took action against nuclear warships in New Zealand ports in the 1980s.”

The General Union of Port Workers in Iraq said it would shutdown the ports of Umm Qasr and Khor Alzubair for one hour on May Day in solidarity with the action of all West Coast ports by members of ILWU.

In a letter from The General Union of Port Workers in Iraq to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in the United States, the union said “The courageous decision you made to carry out a strike on May Day to protest against the war and occupation of Iraq advances our struggle against occupation to bring a better future for us and for the rest of the world as well.”

“We are certain that a better world will only be created by the workers and what you are doing is an example and proof of what we say. ”

The Iraq union also condemned attacks on union rights in Iraq and the privatisation of oil and gas.

US Labor Against the War group report a broad cross-section of Iraqi union leaders have also sent messages of appreciation on the USLAW website “for the solidarity demonstrated by organised labor, working people and all peace-loving people of the world in support of their efforts to end the foreign occupation of Iraq and the sectarian violence that occupation has spawned.”

ENDS

For more information, contact Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson on 021390585

The ILWU media release can be downloaded at http://www.ilwu.org

For further information on Iraqi union statements see http://uslaboragainstwar.org

If this material  is not relevant to your purpose you may wish to prevent further deliveries.
If so, please click the URL and follow the instructions.

Opt-out page: http://www.mediapeople.co.nz/optout/index.php?optout_code=KyoVDlRKR1FJVQZLQ0dAQlpvXURcSRpaRFAWV0A=

The Maritime Union is gearing up for national and international action to protect secure local jobs at the Port of Napier.

Members of the Maritime Union employed at Hawkes Bay Stevedoring Services have been threatened with job losses after a container stevedoring contract was awarded to Mount Maunganui based stevedore ISO.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the decision by the port company has already generated a major backlash, with a national meeting of the Union today calling for solidarity action with the Napier workers.

Mr Hanson says the decision will affect around 25 permanent jobs and around 60 casual jobs in the Port of Napier from the start of next year.

“We are not going to allow a situation where local jobs are disrupted and destroyed.”

Mr Hanson says the port workers in Napier were gutted and angry by the decision by the Port of Napier Limited.

“Our members have worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the Port Company and generated big profits for the Hawkes Bay Regional Council and the local people.”

Mr Hanson says it appears that ISO were going to try to use Napier maritime workers to train their own staff in the meantime.

“This is not going to happen.”

The Maritime Union was talking with the Council of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) about the situation, and would be approaching overseas unions including the Maritime Union of Australia and the ILWU on the USA west coast for assistance.

The Maritime Union was already in touch with shipping companies to register their concerns and all branches of the Union had offered support to the Napier workers.

Mr Hanson says the Union’s case had already received some high level support.

Napier MP Russell Fairbrother had said today that the Ports of Napier, owned by Hawkes Bay Regional Council, had a responsibility to being a good Hawkes’ Bay citizen and he had asked local people to contact the Port Company and Regional Council with their concerns.

The Union agreed with Mr Fairbrother’s comment that the port was there to serve us, not to exploit us.

Maritime unions from around the Pacific are represented in Wellington this week for the second three-yearly conference of the Maritime Union of New Zealand.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed delegations from the All Japan Dockers Union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) from the west coast of North America, and the Maritime Union of Australia, who have made presentations at the conference on industrial and political issues.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says several key themes have emerged from the Conference.
“We have committed to the fight for secure permanent jobs in a safe environment, for cabotage and a rational policy in the shipping and ports industry, and for fair trade not free trade.”
Mr Hanson says one serious concern emerging from the Conference was the exploitation of labour through the movement of short-term, casualized labour between and within countries under so-called “free trade” deals.
He says that the need for cabotage and the right to strike in support of other workers or political issues were other issues of interest for delegates.
The Conference was opened on Tuesday by Minister of Labour Ruth Dyson and addressed on Tuesday by CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont and Green MP Sue Bradford.
Delegates put questions to the speakers about issues such as cabotage and the concern of the Maritime Union about current free trade negotiations and the impact on jobs and conditions.
NZ First deputy leader Peter Brown will speak at the Conference today.