Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand says that new research on methyl bromide gas at the University of Canterbury is vital to ensuring workers and local residents are not at risk from the use of the toxic fumigant.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the early reports of a possible link between methyl bromide and nerve damage, while not surprising, should make it clear that use of methyl bromide must be immediately stopped while further research is carried out.

While researchers at Canterbury University are in the early stages of examining links, toxicology professor Ian Shaw has been reported as saying a link had been found which involved a reaction when mixing methyl bromide with a protective chemical found in human cells.

Mr Fleetwood says while the Union is very happy with the initiative of Dr Shaw and the University of Canterbury, it wants to know why the Government and its responsible agencies did not act to have methyl bromide thoroughly investigated when these concerns were raised in the past.

“If there is any suggestion that lack of safeguards by employers or state agencies has resulted in preventable harm, then the Maritime Union will be considering legal action.”

One of the biggest uses of methyl bromide is to fumigate logs in New Zealand ports and on ships, and waterfront workers and seafarers who were members of the Maritime Union often worked nearby.

Four port workers in Nelson died of degenerative motor neuron disease between 2002 and 2004 and there have been ongoing concerns that methyl bromide was a common factor, despite a report from the Nelson Medical Officer of Health that found no link.

The Maritime Union has argued for several years that methyl bromide use should be stopped, along with the Council of Trade Unions and the Green Party.

Mr Fleetwood says that the Union would like to see the research continue and did not want political pressures to disrupt scientific inquiry.

He says that if there is any doubt whatsoever that methyl bromide could be harming workers, then its use must be stopped, and the upcoming ERMA review should be extended to take account of any new findings.

ENDS

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

As the Maritime Union fights for the rights of seafarers in New Zealand waters, a new report from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to the United Nations paints a disturbing picture of abuses of human rights at sea.
The report names the case of the ‘Sky 75′ in New Zealand waters as one of “ruthless exploitation of fishing crews.”
The New Zealand ITF and Maritime Union took action when 10 Indonesian crew left the Korean registered fishing vessel ‘Sky 75′ in the Port of Nelson in September 2005.
Crew members on the ‘Sky 75′ reported abuse, harsh working conditions and extremely poor conditions.
The ITF report “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” warns that as a result of recruiting scams, vessel abandonment and virtual forced labour, some seafarers and fishers are suffering horrific abuse.
The report is being presented at a United Nations maritime law summit held in New York starting today 12 June until 16 June 2006.
The report exposes some of the terrible conditions inflicted on some seafarers and fishers, and highlights systemic failures in regulation and practice.
“The maritime and fishing industries continue to allow astonishing abuses of human rights of those working in the sector,” says the report.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the report totally vindicates the strong stance of the Union on the issue.
Since the Sky 75 there have been several other serious incidents since the ‘Sky 75′, including crews jumping ship from the ‘San Liberatore’ and ‘Marinui’, and more recently a Ukrainian crew onboard the ‘Malakhov Kurgan’ in Lyttelton who had to go on strike to be paid the minimum wage.
“These are just the cases we have picked up on – I have no doubt these are the tip of the iceberg,” says Mr Hanson.
The ITF report follows a 2005 joint report from the Australian Government, the ITF, and the global conservation organization WWF, that revealed the pillaging of threatened fish stocks, human rights abuses and global pirate fishing operations were all linked problems.

The ITF report Out of Sight, Out of Mind can be downloaded at the webpage listing ITF publications:
http://www.itfglobal.org/infocentre/pubs.cfm

The Australian Government/ITF/WWF report “The Changing Nature of High Seas Fishing: How Flags of Convenience provide cover for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing” can be downloaded at:
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/iiumr.pdf

The Maritime Union says the arrest of shipjumpers in Nelson is not solving the cause of the problem.
Six Vietnamese shipjumpers were arrested on Tuesday night in Nelson.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says action is needed to ensure that crew members are being employed under decent conditions.
“This Christmas, there will be overseas crews working in New Zealand waters in dangerous conditions, for low pay, suffering abuse and exploitation, while we turn a blind eye because it is making a fat profit for someone.”
Mr Hanson says pressure must go on on employers, not the penniless victims of the current system.
He says if the authorities are serious about ending shipjumping, the answer is simple – they must end exploitation and abuse of overseas crew aboard fishing vessels working in New Zealand waters.
“If the overseas crew were being paid the New Zealand minimum wage, they’d be running up the gangway.”
Mr Hanson says the crew members are so desperate they will go on the run, living and working in constant fear, ripe for abuse and exploitation.
“The fact they prefer to do this rather than stay on board the fishing vessels shows what is going on off the coast of New Zealand.”
He says that treating the shipjumpers like criminals is simply drawing attention away from the ugly side of “pirate capitalism.”
Mr Hanson says the Maritime Union is concerned that under free trade agreements, the use of low-wage, casual workers imported from overseas will become normal.

The Maritime Union says the Department of Labour’s stance on two Vietnamese fishermen who have jumped ship in Nelson is unacceptable.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the Department of Labour has stated in the media it will not act until formally notified by the fishing vessel charterers that crew members are missing.

“In this case, the two missing crew members have obviously jumped ship from the Sky 75, like the ten Indonesian crew members before them, and these two fishermen are probably living rough.”

Mr Hanson says the Department of Labour must stop hiding behind legal technicalities and front up to a serious issue.

“The Government must act to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all crew members in New Zealand waters, as well as the security of our ports and borders.”

He says that it is obvious that there are problems in the industry with the mistreatment of foreign crews.

“The Department of Labour should be taking a no-nonsense approach to ensure compliance with New Zealand laws and regulations in the fishing industry.”

Mr Hanson says it appears little action has been taken on a damning Department of Labour report into the mistreatment of foreign fishing crews that was made public earlier this year.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson on (04) 801 7614 or 0274 453 532

The Maritime Union is supporting calls for an inquiry into the toxic gas Methyl Bromide, used as a timber fumigant in New Zealand ports.

A group of Nelson widows has called for the inquiry after six former port workers contracted the rare and fatal motor neurone disease, which has already led to the deaths of five.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says that waterfront workers have concerns about the gas as they work in confined spaces with it.

One incident that occurred in 1999 led to workers being hospitalized after exposure to the gas.

Mr Hanson says that the Nelson Medical Officer of Health and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) should investigate whether the cases of motor neurone disease are linked to Methyl Bromide poisoning.

The Maritime Union says that precautionary blood testing of workers is another useful step, but the Union would like to workers to have the ability to self-test toxicity levels when they are working with fumigated timber.

Concerns about methyl bromide leaching from timber loaded onto ships also had to be addressed by independent tests.

Mr Hanson says he agrees with reported comments by Port Nelson environmental consultative committee member Rachel Reese that the Government should fund a multi-agency investigation into the use of Methyl Bromide.

“Methyl Bromide is a toxic gas and we are concerned about anecdotal evidence that in the past there has been a too relaxed attitude towards its use around workers.”