Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand says secure jobs, improved wages and conditions, national sovereignty, and major improvements to New Zealand’s maritime and transport policy are its election priorities.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says there is an immediate need for an effective, efficient and environmentally friendly transport and logistics chain.

He says that the potential privatization and overseas buy up of New Zealand ports is a major threat to New Zealand remaining in control of its supply chain.

The current Government had no plan for coastal shipping, and the stranding of the Rena and problems with Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs) in the fishing industry were glaring examples of how deregulation and falling standards were reducing New Zealand to the status of a developing nation.

“The National Government has focussed its entire transport strategy on putting more trucks on the road, when we need to be moving in the opposite direction of rail and coastal shipping to provide low impact, environmentally aware transport for the future.”

Mr Fleetwood says that worker’s wages and conditions were under enormous pressure, and unemployment was wrecking the lives of many, including the vulnerable young.

“The reality is that most workers in jobs are working longer, harder and for relatively less, and at the same time we see tens of thousands excluded from work and then attacked for being beneficiaries.”

The working class in New Zealand today are underpaid and over-worked, with high unemployment, casualization and a shrinking share of the economic pie, says Mr Fleetwood.

“This must be addressed not only by economic growth, but by increasing the share of wealth produced going to the producers – the workers.”

Casualization of jobs was creating massive problems in working class communities and was being ignored by the Government.

The third concern of the Union was how New Zealand’s sovereignty was being undermined.

New Zealanders must have the right to make our own economic and political choices, says Mr Fleetwood.

“This right is undermined by free trade deals such as the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, and John Key’s proposed asset sales that will remove our ability to determine our collective future as a community and nation.”

New Zealanders were in serious danger of becoming tenants in their own country if the National Party asset sales and privatization agenda was allowed to continue.

The full Maritime Union election statement could be viewed online at http://www.munz.org.nz/2011-election/

The Maritime Union is warning that New Zealand workers are under threat due to lack of regulation and enforcement of standards in industry.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says a lax attitude and a view that workers are expendable is present in industry and Government.

“The Prime Minister especially has worked hard to disconnect himself as being responsible for anything except appearing on the cover of magazines and radio chat shows.”

Mr Fleetwood says the reality is that New Zealanders and overseas workers were being harmed in the workplace due to slack regulation.

He says there are three clear examples that should be making people ask questions.

“As the inquiry for the Pike River disaster goes on, we are seeing a picture of lack of regulation and lack of responsibility in key areas. Why are we not demanding accountability at the top level?”

“The Prime Minister has said the bodies of the workers would be recovered but this had not happened.”

“The Prime Minister has stated that New Zealand mining regulations are inferior to Australia. What has he done about it, and what is he intending to do about it?”

Mr Fleetwood says the deaths of workers in the maritime industry included two as yet unexplained sinking of overseas fishing vessels working out of New Zealand ports, the Oyang 70 and the No 1 Insung.

“Once again, the poor standards that are permitted in this industry are likely to have been a contributing factor.”

The recent grounding of the Rena should have been a further wake up call about the decline of standards in the maritime industry, but even this dramatic event had failed to cause lasting concern.

“The European Union is currently deciding whether it will even permit Filipino trained seafarers in their waters. This is not even an issue in New Zealand. Why not? Are we happy just to wait for the next incident?”

He says Maritime Union members work in the offshore oil and gas industry and would insist on high standards, but there was no confidence in the Government’s attitude.

Mr Fleetwood says the reality is workers have to take the lead and make the workplace safe.

“In the current environment, profit comes first for many employers and that has a big impact. Unless we have strong unions on the job to defend health and safety, and legislation that is backed with some teeth, then we will see more and more preventable deaths and injuries.”

The Maritime Union says police have better things to do than expending major resources on running surveillance operations on union pickets and political groups.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the Union is concerned at the level of police presence at public events revealed in a list of 84 police “operations” in 2008/2009. Peace Action Wellington obtained the records through an Official Information Act request.

Police in Wellington and Auckland ran several operations during industrial disputes, including on Maritime Union members engaged in a legal strike in late 2008 at Ports of Auckland.

Mr Fleetwood says the Union was unhappy about its members having to pay taxes to fund their own surveillance by police for legal and above board industrial activity.

“We question why these resources can’t be directed to investigating dangerous work places and illegal work practices on the job around New Zealand where workers are killed and injured on a regular basis.”

He says he did not see why there was a need for a major police presence or substantial observation at many of the events, especially when it was claimed police resources were over stretched.

“They might want to pop down to have a look as part of their daily rounds, no problem, but this appears to be at a different level.”

Mr Fleetwood says despite claims that police were there to look after the rights of demonstrators, the reality was that law enforcement appeared a lot more active when it came to workers and less so when it came to employers.

“The right to lawful pickets and demonstrations is a hard won right, a democratic right, and certainly in our Union we have a long memory about how police powers have been used to undermine workers rights.”

There had been a number of incidents in recent years such as the use of paid police informants used to spy on legitimate groups and the “terror raids” of 15 October 2007 which showed that there was a tendency for police powers to expand, and a culture of state control and surveillance to grow, unless challenged.

The Maritime Union was also concerned at the implications of the Search and Surveillance Bill that is currently before parliament, and which has generated widespread concern amongst many as undermining long standing rights of citizens.

“As it has been said before, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

ENDS

For more information, contact Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood on 021364649

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has thanked Green MP Sue Bradford, who announced her resignation from Parliament today, for her support for workers and those without a voice in the political process.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says Sue Bradford was a friend of the Maritime Union and all workers.

“Sue was a principle driven politician during her time in Parliament who was ahead of her time and who provided a contrast to many other faceless representatives.”

Mr Hanson says that Ms Bradford was one of the few MPs in Parliament who understood the crossover between social, economic and environmental policies.

He says she was a strong advocate for coastal shipping as an environmentally friendly transport mode.

Mr Hanson says Sue Bradford was also a friend of New Zealand workers and her resignation was a loss to Parliament.

“Her activist background gave her a real understanding of the struggle of unemployed and low paid workers since the 1980s.”

He says he expects Ms Bradford to continue to be an active and effective political advocate outside Parliament.

The Maritime Union has announced its priorities for the 2008 election.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the Union wants to see the return of a Labour-led Government to continue what he describes as incremental but positive moves to develop the maritime and transport industries.

Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union is strongly endorsing the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) election policy document, especially regarding key issues such as wages, employment relations, health and safety, ACC, and transport.

He says the CTU has identified specific maritime issues such as amending section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act to ensure that domestic coastal shipping is not disadvantaged in relation to foreign ships, and opposing commitments on Mode 4 in bilateral and regional free trade agreements relating to the movement of cross-border labour.

“We want to see the return of a Labour-led Government which has the support of pro-worker minor parties in an MMP environment.”

Mr Hanson says it is a time of great challenges in a trade-driven industry.

He says it is a mixed outlook for the industry with potential threats to jobs coming from an international downturn in trade caused by the current financial crisis, but potential for expansion in the offshore oil and gas industry.

“A move back to a National Government at a time of international recession would create a repeat of the 1990s in our industry which saw the decimation of job security, a lack of planning and mindless deregulation that has caused a lot of downstream problems.”

Specific goals for the Maritime Union:

• New Zealand shipping. The Maritime Union endorses the Sea Change document but believes that rapidly evolving circumstances require a more ambitious approach. Cabotage for New Zealand shipping is not off the table. The commitment to New Zealand shipping in the Sea Change plan is seen as a good first step. It is back on the agenda for Australia and the option for a trans-Tasman cabotage arrangement could be considered. (NB Cabotage is where domestic shipping is given priority on coastal shipping routes.)

• Casualization needs to be addressed. The casualization review initiated by the Labour Government and New Zealand First has started the ball rolling. The long term solution can only lie in a regulated labour market. Workers are not commodities. The flow on effect of a casualized workforce is an unskilled, demoralized workforce with low productivity. The social problems caused by casualization are profound. A national register of trained, bona fide maritime workers is one option to ensure national standards and quality jobs are a priority.

• Free trade. The Maritime Union has criticized free trade arrangements on a number of levels. The ownership and control of New Zealand’s maritime and transport infrastructure is in danger of being transferred to overseas conglomerates and free trade will undermine investment regulations. The use of short-term casual labour being imported across borders to drive down wages and conditions is a major international issue that is not yet fully appreciated in New Zealand. The role of free trade agreements in undermining local control and secure work is a serious concern. The Maritime Union notes the relevant criticisms of free trade from the Green Party and Alliance Party.

• Port rationalization. The Maritime Union views the current system of ports engaged in mutually destructive competition as unsustainable. However the Union rejects privatization or corporate monopolies promoted by vested interests as the answer. A national ports policy needs to drive the modernization process, to get past the parochial approach of ports, and which retains New Zealand ownership and control of ports.

• Training. The lack of new entrants into the industry especially in growth areas such as offshore oil and gas is a serious concern. The young people of New Zealand have the right to training and careers in their own industry. The Maritime Union supports industry suggestions around the establishment of a training facility for this area. A career path for young workers is vital for both the industry and for New Zealand’s future.

• Health and safety. Phase out of Methyl Bromide.

• Public ownership. Support the buyback of rail and ferries. Support public ownership of ports.

• Kiwisaver. Support current Kiwisaver system while ensuring national superannuation is not downgraded.

The Maritime Union says a new employment Bill before Parliament is good news for casual workers.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says that many New Zealand workers are struggling with the insecurity of casual work.

The Maritime Union welcomed the Bill which featured increased powers for Labour Inspectors to determine whether workers were fixed-term or permanent employees, and tests to determine whether a worker has progressed from casual to permanent employment.

Mr Hanson says the Bill will also address issues where workers carrying out work for a controlling third party can add that party to a personal grievance, and specifies such workers must be employed on terms and conditions no less favourable than any collective agreement which covers direct employees.

He says this means that employers will not be able to avoid their obligations by contracting out work simply to undermine wages and conditions.

“We see this as a step forward in ensuring all workers are treated fairly and is part of the solution in stopping the creation of an underclass of casualized, short-term workers.”

The Maritme Union acknowledges the work put into the casualization issue by Ruth Dyson MP and Peter Brown MP.

Mr Hanson says the problems with casual work are widespread in the maritime industry as well as many other industries.

“Casualization is a major social problem. If a worker is employed on a day to day basis, with no security of income, they are unable to plan their lives or obtain mortgages or loans. This can have major impacts on family life, health and community activities.”

Mr Hanson says he would expect any political party that wanted to support New Zealand families would be backing the new Bill.

“We hear a lot from politicians about the need to help Kiwi families, and this is one very practical way that we can ensure hard working New Zealanders have some stability and security in their lives to help bring up their families.”