Posted on 19 April 2011. Tags: crews, Health and safety, offshore, oil, Oil and Gas Alliance, seafarers
On the eve of the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster the EPMU and MUNZ say the Key government must apply lessons from it and the Pike River tragedy and act without delay to ensure workers have a stronger voice in offshore oil exploration safety, including comprehensive “safety case” and legal liability provisions [1].
The government also needs to legislate for best international regulatory standards and practices, enforce them effectively by increasing the number of inspectors and remove legal uncertainties about companies’ insurance liability obligations.
“The Pike River and Deepwater Horizon tragedies were reminders that workplace safety is not negotiable,” says Andrew Little, joint spokesman for the NZ section of the Trans Tasman Oil & Gas Alliance (TTOGA) of trade unions.
“New Zealand deserves the strictest levels of safety, accident prevention and response, and a comprehensive environmental safeguards regime in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and a dedicated rescue vessel, without compromise or inconsistency.”
“Too often the free market culture says ‘increase productivity and make more profit’ but this devalues the worker’s voice on health and safety issues which isn’t good enough.”
“It’s also about a sensible recognition that some industries are inherently dangerous, such as oil, gas and mining, and people working in them are entitled to the best possible protections going.”
“New Zealand has only one inspector overseeing safety in offshore oil exploration, which is a grave concern after the Pike River and Deepwater Horizon tragedies.”
“The government simply must increase the level of health and safety staffing and monitoring in the most hazardous sectors such as oil, gas and mining.”
“A single Department of Labour oil well inspector monitors health and safety at seven New Zealand installations and is supposed to be guarding against disasters such as the rig explosion that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico last year.”
“Australia has one inspector for every three installations, Britain has one for every two and Norway has one per installation. Yet the sole New Zealand inspector is responsible for seven installations as well as all onshore petroleum and geothermal activities, which beggars belief.”
“The Department of Labour inspectorate needs more inspectors and support staff to bring the level here in line with Norway where they have one for each installation.”
[1] The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) represents workers in the oil, gas and mining sectors and the Maritime Union of NZ (MUNZ) represents workers in the maritime and shipping sectors. Together they are the NZ section of the Trans Tasman Oil & Gas Alliance (TTOGA).
Posted in Media releases
Posted on 08 February 2010. Tags: crews, Joe Fleetwood, Maritime Union of Australia, Maritime Union of New Zealand, MUA, offshore, Oil and Gas Alliance
The Maritime Union of New Zealand has congratulated the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) in its successful and ongoing campaign in improving wages and conditions in the offshore industry.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says offshore maritime workers are working in a tough and unforgiving environment and all workers benefit from strong unions like the MUA leading the way forward.
He says the recent media attack from the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE) on the MUA’s offshore strategy has blown the credibility of the AIMPE.
The AIMPE is an affiliate of the International Transport Workers Federation, and the Maritime Union of New Zealand will be seeking an explanation of their leadership’s public statements attacking a fellow maritime union for doing their job.
The AIMPE leadership need to figure out whether they are representing workers or representing employers, says Mr Fleetwood.
Mr Fleetwood sayd the ongoing attacks on the MUA in the big business owned Australian media are to be expected and need to be countered by getting the real story out through working class communities.
“Any group of workers that is successfully organized and achieving good results are regarded as a threat to the vast profits corporate owners and managers are grabbing. So all the flak the MUA are getting is a sign you are making good progress.”
Posted in Media releases
Posted on 12 January 2010. Tags: gas, industrial action, Maritime Union of Australia, oil, Oil and Gas Alliance, seafarers, strike, West Australia
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.
Posted in Media releases
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