Maritime Union of New Zealand

Representatives of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) delivered a letter to the acting Mexican Ambassador on Wednesday 30 June 2010 expressing deep concern at the Mexican government’s use of force against striking workers in the National Miners’ and Metalworkers Union of Mexico (Los Mineros).

The letter condemns the assault by heavily armed riot police on striking members of Los Mineros at the Cananea copper mine in Mexico earlier this month.

On 6 June hundreds of Mexican riot police surrounded the mine and used tear gas to dislodge workers who were occupying the entrances and to assault the union office. More than 1000 members of Los Mineros were on strike over a long-running dispute with the company, Grupo Mexico, over health and safety and other contract violations.

Los Mineros reported that three workers received gunshot or projectile wounds, and others had been beaten or were suffering from the effects of the tear gas.

The letter urges the Mexican government to allow the elected leader of the union, Napoleón Gómez, to return to Mexico from exile in Canada and resume his position.

The acting Mexican Ambassador Luis Enrique Franco gave an assurance he would convey to his government the deep concerns of the New Zealand trade union movement over the Mexican government’s treatment of the workers involved.

“We urge the Mexican government to allow the safe return of Napoleón Gómez, the elected leader of the National Miners’ and Metalworkers Union of Mexico, so he can resume his duties without fear of reprisal,” says the EPMU’s senior national industrial officer Paul Tolich.

“The Mexican government needs to honour its commitments as a member of the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) and guarantee freedom of association for all Mexican workers,” says MUNZ general secretary Joe Fleetwood.

The ILO has backed Los Mineros in the dispute saying that the Mexican government has acted in a way that is incompatible with ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand is supporting strike action by Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members in the West Australian offshore oil and gas industry.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says many New Zealanders work in the Australian maritime industry.

He says that the Maritime Union of New Zealand works closely with the MUA and other unions in international alliances such as the Trans Tasman Oil and Gas Alliance.

Mr Fleetwood says the Australian workers had the full support of maritime workers around the world.

“The employers are making vast fortunes in profits. You don’t notice all the CEOs and politicians refusing their huge pay increases but when workers stand up for their rights it becomes the end of the world.”

He says the wages of those workers get spent in working class communities rather than being hoarded by wealthy shareholders.

“This is about workers getting their share of the wealth they create. After all, they do the work out on the remote rigs and vessels, away from home for long periods and in a risky, heavy industrial environment.”

Mr Fleetwood says the issue has important implications for New Zealand.

“The offshore oil and gas industry is an important part of our economy and will become more important over the next decade.”

The Maritime Union supports moves away from an oil based economy in the long term but there would be a transition period where oil and gas were still required and New Zealand had to make the most of that.

“This is a limited resource and one that is not having a positive effect on the environment. The wealth from our oil and gas reserves must be used to benefit our people and to move to a post-oil economy.”

He noted how diverse nations such as Norway and Venezuela had used their oil and gas reserves for the benefit of their citizens.

Mr Fleetwood says that New Zealand should maintain close control of its oil and gas reserves and should not allow them to be exploited by private corporations.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says employers and Government agencies appear to be turning a blind eye to unsafe working conditions in New Zealand ports.

He says there have been ongoing feedback from workers that paints a picture of a decline in standards in many ports.

Mr Fleetwood says that the recession and increasing competition for available cargo in New Zealand ports means many employers are cutting corners.

In the past week he had personally spoken to casual and permanent waterfront workers who have told him of increasing concerns around work practices.

There were instances of workers required to work 18 hour days with 6 hour rest periods, and workers are driving heavy cranes for long periods between rest or toilet breaks.

Incidents of serious injury or death already occurred in the industry and it appeared the lives of workers came second to profit levels in some cases.

“These conditions are getting back to a century ago, when workers presented themselves to the wharf and were selected by foremen for a days work.”

Mr Fleetwood says casual workers today would wait at home for a cellphone call for work, which often never came.

Some of the workers were being paid not much higher than the minimum wage and others were exploited by labour hire companies who took a substantial cut of wages for doing very little.

He says workers at the coal face were aware of dangerous work practices, but the consequences of raising safety issues on the job would ensure those who spoke out would be unlikely to gain future employment.

“Casual workers and those workers outside union coverage or in company unions will often not raise these issues as they do not want to be singled out and lose work.”

“The Maritime Union is putting employers on notice that there will be stoppages if health and safety is compromised to gain competitive advantage.”

Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union will seek advice on legal action against Government agencies responsible for maritime and waterfront safety, as well as employers, if there was a death or injury on the job due to bad practices.

He recently attended an International Transport Federation dock workers meeting in Mumbai, India, where reports showed this was an international issue, and co-ordinated action between global transport unions was likely.

The Maritime Union has upped its industrial and financial support of Telecom lines engineers in their employment dispute.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says a national meeting of Union representatives from ports and ships this morning voted an initial $10,000 to support Telecom lines engineers in their struggle for secure jobs.

Maritime Union members from New Zealand ships and the waterfront joined rallies in Auckland and Wellington this morning alongside the lines engineers and other supporters.

The lines engineers are members of the EPMU.

Hundreds of jobs of Telecom lines engineers are threatened by attempts by Telecom contractor Visionstream to force workers to become “dependent contractors”.

Mr Hanson says this dispute affects all New Zealand workers and maritime workers were very aware of the serious nature of this attack by employers.

He says the Maritime Union is 100% behind the lines engineers.

“If Telecom and Visionstream are allowed to get away with this, it will be open season on all workers. Their actions must be exposed and stopped. Workers need secure jobs.”

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union is contacting international maritime unions and working with affiliates of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation to build support.

He says Telecom imports through ports will come under close scrutiny if they are related to the current dispute and broadband rollout.

The Maritime Union and the EPMU are part of the “Oil and Gas Alliance” which unites workers in the off shore oil and gas industry.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is made up of 681 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries.

The Maritime Union has added its weight to the struggle of Telecom lines engineers fighting to protect their jobs.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson says maritime workers will be supporting the Telecom lines engineers, who are members of the EPMU, in their battle against contracting out.

He says a special national executive meeting of the Maritime Union has been called for Monday, which will be followed by communications with the International Transport Workers Federation based in London and its New Zealand union affiliates, as well as Australian maritime unions.

“Telecom and Visionstream imports through New Zealand and international ports will now come under close scrutiny especially if they are related to the current dispute and the broadband rollout.”

He says all workers should realize the threat to their livelihoods through contracting out and Telecom was forcing workers into financial risk at a time of great insecurity.

“This is a major dispute and all workers should be supporting the Telecom lines engineers because it is them today and us tomorrow.”

“This type of contracting out forces employees into becoming dependent contractors in order to reduce their wages and conditions.”

He says maritime workers will be supporting rallies by Telecom lines engineers on Monday in Wellington and Auckland.

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union and the EPMU are part of the “Oil and Gas Alliance” which unites workers in the offshore oil and gas industry and were working closely together.

New Zealand affiliates of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) include the Maritime Union of New Zealand, the EPMU, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, the Merchant Service Guild, the National Distribution Union and the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is made up of 681 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries. It is one of several Global Union Federations allied with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).