Maritime Union of New Zealand

The two main waterfront unions have condemned a proposal to slash 12 jobs at Port Otago.

Both the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) were united in their criticism of the plan.

‘At a time when Port Otago has just delivered a record $12.5 million dividend to its owner Otago Regional Council, it beggars belief that the Port wants to slash jobs,’ said RMTU National Secretary Wayne Butson.

‘Management say they are expecting a decline in container numbers as the Port is no longer the trans-shipment hub for shipping  Maersk, but they remain upbeat about the future, saying they are confident about the success of the Port,’ said Mr Butson.

‘That a publicly owned company can consider throwing people out of work in these circumstances is completely unacceptable, those workers created the wealth that was paid out to Otago Regional Council as a dividend and this is the thanks they get,’ he said.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood said the Port Otago plan is flawed as with growing trade was occurring in some areas of the business.

‘A few months down the track, the company may have to go to all the trouble of employing new skilled staff after letting their current staff go.’

Mr Fleetwood said the port company has to accept that peaks and troughs in shipping was a part of the industry, and to stop using workers as pawns in a situation where the workforce was productive and the company was performing well.

Mr Butson said it had been a bad enough year for Dunedin with 44 jobs being cut at Hillside in July, now more families faced an uncertain future while the Regional Council pocketed a record dividend.

‘The Combined Unions will be doing everything we can to try and turn this proposal around. Unemployment is rising nationally and this region is suffering disproportionally. It seems that both the National led Government and the Regional Council don’t care about workers, their families and the wider community when it comes to jobs,’ he said.

‘We have a couple of weeks to mobilise to fight these cuts before the decision is final. We’ll be holding a joint meeting of our members next week to decide on how we’ll do that,’ he said.

New Zealand union representatives will rally on Thursday 17 February 2011 outside the Mexican Embassy in Wellington at 12.30pm in support of Mexican workers’ rights as part of an international week of solidarity actions.

The participating unions will be the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ), Service and Food Workers’ Union (SFWU), National Distribution Union (NDU), Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU), Financial Sector Union (Finsec) and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU).

Representatives will also seek to present a letter to the Charge D’Affaires at the Embassy urging the Mexican government to recognise workers’ rights and comply with UN ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association.

The Mexican Embassy is located at 187 Featherston Street.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has vowed to go on the offensive against employment law changes pushed through by the National Government.

The passing of the Employment Relations Act and Holidays Act Amendment Bills in Parliament yesterday spells the beginning of the end for the John Key Government, says the Union.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the law changes are about one thing – making life harder and sucking more profit out of hard pressed working people.

“On top of the GST hike on workers, unemployment, low wages, rewriting laws overnight for multinationals, and the continued attacks on the education system, the rot has set in for a National Government that has turned against the people.”

“These laws are an attack on workers. The National Government is against working people. John Key is a multi millionaire from the finance speculation sector and he represents multi millionaires. He has no interest in the wellbeing of the majority of New Zealanders.”

Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union will be on the front line in fighting any laws that threaten the wellbeing of working people.

That would mean ramping up an ongoing campaign against the National Government and employers who used the new laws against workers.

Mr Fleetwood says the reality of what the law changes means may take some time to sink in for many people.

“As workers see their workmates sacked for stupid reasons or no reasons under the 90 day fire at will law, then disquiet and concern will turn to anger.”

He says the key issues for workers in New Zealand at the moment are low pay, unemployment and insecurity of jobs by contracting out and casualization.

“On all these issues the National Government has failed workers completely.”

“Workers in unions have better wages, conditions and representation. If you are a worker get in a union now, because this National Government is working against your interests.”

Leading international mining and maritime unions representing millions of workers around the world are meeting in Auckland this week.