Maritime Union of New Zealand

The rundown of New Zealand coastal shipping is threatening New Zealand’s capability to deal with the social and economic fallout from natural disasters.

A massive slip near Kaikoura has blocked the main road and rail link from north to south for the last couple of days and it is not known for certain how long it will take to clear and repair.

The cause of the slip is possibly related to the recent Christchurch earthquake, or heavy rain, but regardless of the cause, it is creating extra problems for transport and logistics in the badly disrupted South Island at a crucial time. Heavy trucks are diverted through the Lewis Pass, hundreds of kilometers off their normal route.

KiwiRail is now considering shipping freight to South Island ports other than Picton, to reach Christchurch faster.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the neglect of coastal shipping has led to a “blind spot” in New Zealand’s transport mix.

“We’re an island nation dependent on shipping that has allowed its own shipping capability to vanish due to bad policies, and we are seeing now why this is a bad idea.”

He says the Maritime Union has argued for many years that over reliance on land transport and especially trucking was short-sighted.

“Unfortunately we have had little progress and the current Government is only interested in heavy trucking. We no longer have the coastal shipping capability to deal with the problem.”

Due to New Zealand’s geography, reliance on land based transport modes running down narrow and easily disrupted transport corridors was a dangerous weakness.

The Christchurch – Picton road and rail link was the only convenient land route from North Island to the majority of the South Island’s cities and economic hubs.

Mr Fleetwood says if there was a fleet of New Zealand vessels available, they would be able to quickly respond to such a situation if required, either for emergency relief or simply to ensure the supply chain was not broken. There are only a very small number of New Zealand freight vessels working on the coastal trade.

Most coastal cargo is now dominated by overseas vessels which work to tight fixed international schedules based on the interests of their owners, rather than any local concerns.

Mr Fleetwood says that the concerns about a Wellington earthquake were still extremely valid.

“If we look at New Zealand’s capital, it is totally dependent on a couple of access routes, and if these were blocked, shipping might provide the only lifeline.”

The Maritime Union was calling on the Government to remove policies which disadvantaged New Zealand shipping and included the “blue highway” as a key element of the transport mix.

The Maritime Union says that it will be looking into health and safety aboard the bulk carrier TPC Wellington after a serious accident.

Two sailors, one Korean and one Burmese, died after suffocating in the ship’s timber hold at Marsden Point wharf near Whangarei yesterday afternoon.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says it is likely this was an unnecessary tragedy.

“Last week we commemorated International Workers Memorial Day, to remember all those workers killed and harmed on the job, and now sadly we already have more workplace fatalities.”

Mr Fleetwood says the Union is not making any assumptions about the incident.

A full investigation was required to identify what happened.

“What we will be asking about is the safety of the vessel, were all safety precautions taken, was there any use of toxic chemicals aboard the vessel, and what were the onboard conditions for the crew.”

Mr Fleetwood says that fatalities and serious injuries occurred far too often in the maritime industry, often due to corner cutting and time pressures in a deregulated industry.

He says the event was the most serious in a New Zealand port for some time.

“Firstly, before assigning responsibility to anyone, let alone the victims, we need to know the events leading up to the deaths, and whether these workers were aware of any dangers.”

Mr Fleetwood says it is common to find safety issues aboard “flag of convenience” ships and fishing vessels.

This was complicated by communication issues as many crews were comprised of different nationalities.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand is an affiliate of the International Transport Workers Federation, which is the global organization representing transport workers including seafarers, fisheries workers, waterfront workers and other maritime workers.

The Maritime Union has dismissed comments by global shipping line Maersk about the merger of Port of Lyttelton and Port of Otago.

The two ports announced a planned merger of operations yesterday, subject to approval by the Chamber of Commerce.

Maersk New Zealand managing director Julian Bevis was reported today as saying he had concerns about the “dominance” of the new port structure and how this would affect prices, services and market competition.

Mr Fleetwood says it is hard to take such concerns with a straight face.

“Maersk is a massive operation, the world’s largest shipping and container terminal conglomerate, and they must really be short of things to worry about if this is all they can come up with.”

He says that Maersk’s ongoing global growth through mergers and acquisitions indicated that they had no concerns with any effect on competition by their own operations.

Mr Fleetwood says the goal of any capitalist corporate like Maersk was to dominate the market and reduce their risk and exposure to competition.

“Let’s face it, the reality is that they are the ones dominating the market and threatening competition, not two ports in the South Island of New Zealand.”

Mr Fleetwood says the problem with New Zealand ports was the exact opposite of Mr Bevis’ claims.

“New Zealand ports have long been played off against each other by powerful shipping companies, and even large local corporates such as Fonterra.”

This has resulted in serious disruption to regional ports, which had many negative implications for New Zealand’s economy and social stability.

Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union was cautiously optimistic about the merger between Port of Lyttelton and Port of Otago.

“Obviously it is early days, but ports working together like this could have benefits, as long as it does not lead to any regional ports being undermined.”

He says the Union would like to see ports remain under public ownership, but also come under some form of national co-ordination, a concept which the Union calls “Kiwiport.”

“Ports are not just another business, they are key infrastructure, and the gateway for New Zealand exports and imports. They need to be operated in the national interest.”

The Maritime Union had been active in the Keep Our Port Public campaign in 2006 during an unsuccessful attempt to part-privatize Port of Lyttelton through a deal with global terminal operator Hutchison.

The Maritime Union is backing rallies in New Zealand ports over the next week to end the use of methyl bromide.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says maritime workers want to see the toxic gas taken out of use.

“The time is up for methyl bromide and New Zealand needs to be moving into line with where the world is going.”

He says the Union is part of a new Coalition Against the use of Methyl Bromide bringing together workers, environmental groups, political parties and community organizations.

Methyl bromide is used in ports and aboard ships to fumigate logs for pests but most of New Zealand’s major trading partners will accept other treatments.

Methyl bromide also harms the ozone layer, and is being phased out internationally under the Montreal Protocol.

Mr Fleetwood says the deaths of six port workers in Nelson from motor neuron disease has led to ongoing debate about possible links with methyl bromide.

He says that further research is being carried out on the effects of methyl bromide on human health, and there was cause for concern.

He says the Maritime Union is very concerned that businesses profiting from methyl bromide use and Government agencies have been too closely linked up until 2009 through the STIMBR group.

“It seems once again that profit has taken priority over the safety of workers, communities and environment.”

Protests taking place at the ports of Picton, Wellington and Tauranga will highlight the large amount of methyl bromide gas that is being used at these ports, and the risk this poses to worker’s health and the ozone layer.

Protest Schedule

Picton

Date: Friday April 23
Time: 12.00
Location: Shakespeare Bay Lookout
Map – http://bit.ly/9tNucR

Wellington

Date: Monday April 26
Time: 12.00
Location: The footpath outside of the Bluebridge entrance
Map – http://bit.ly/9MqJ2R

Tauranga

Date: Wednesday April 28
Time: 12.00
Location: Corner of Totara St and Hull Rd. It is the first intersection from the wharf.
Map – http://bit.ly/aZW3US

Members of the Coalition are:

Soil and Health Association of New Zealand
The Green Party
Rail and Maritime Transport Union
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
The Safe Food Campaign
Guardian of the Sounds
Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa New Zealand
Maritime Union of New Zealand
Friends of Nelsonhaven and Tasman Bay
The Alliance Party

The Maritime Union has attacked comments by the group Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction (STIMBR) which downplays valid concerns about the use of the poison gas.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood has condemned a statement from STIMBR (1 February 2010) entitled “Gas links with disease unfounded” that asserts there is no proof that methyl bromide is connected with motor neuron disease.

Mr Fleetwood says there is no proof as yet, but important new research into the health hazards of methyl bromide has detected possible links and there has been criticism of past investigations.

“On the one hand STIMBR is claiming no one knows what causes motor neuron disease, yet the very reason that further research is being done is due to possible links. As responsible employers they should be encouraging any new findings that build on current limited knowledge. STIMBR also quote outdated research in their public statement.”

STIMBR is made up of businesses that have a direct financial interest in the use of methyl bromide, but until recently had Government representation and financial contributions.

Mr Fleetwood says he is very concerned that the Government has until recently been officially represented on what was clearly a partisan organization that appeared motivated by the interests of private businesses, and which had no representation of maritime workers.

“STIMBR is not an industry group, it’s an employers group, managers who sit in offices a safe distance from methyl bromide fumigation. It’s a public relations cookup to portray themselves as reducing methyl bromide when they are the beneficiaries of its use. What Government agencies were doing involved with STIMBR is a major concern and we will be approaching the Government on this matter.”

In the October 2009 STIMBR newsletter (http://www.stimbr.org.nz/STIMBRNewsletter8.pdf), the Chair Gordon Hosking noted that government departments had advised they would no longer be members of STIMBR but would seek observer status due to perceived conflict of interest and “will be discussed further by the management committee.”

The same newsletter lists as its first item under “Specific areas of progress” the achievement of “Protecting methyl bromide use”, which seems an odd area of progress for a group whose name is “Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction”. Are they protecting the use of Methyl Bromide or reducing the use of Methyl Bromide?

A May 2008 newsletter stated STIMBR were “pleased to acknowledge contributions to STIMBR from organisations with a keen interest in methyl bromide reduction, but who are non-users of the fumigant. Noted in our last newsletter were Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry of Economic Development, Scion, and Crop and Food Research.”

New research is being carried out at Canterbury University where 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.

Dr Shaw has stated the study by the Nelson Medical Officer of Health should have looked further into the rate of port deaths from motor neuron disease which was many hundreds of times higher than normal.

Mr Fleetwood says that if it is proved in future research there is a link between methyl bromide and motor neuron disease, or any other illness, then the Maritime Union will be involved in any efforts to hold employers, Government and individuals (including STIMBR members) accountable and liable for any harm to workers.

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