Container ships in Ports of Auckland during strike expected

Container ships in Ports of Auckland during strike not unexpected

1 March 2012

The Maritime Union says a couple of container ships working during a strike at Ports of Auckland is not unexpected.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National President Garry Parsloe says the container ship Maersk Aberdeen discharged a small number of containers yesterday with a skeleton workforce of managers and non-union workers.

He says another vessel was working today but the reality was the port is functioning at a 10% level as most vessels are turning away.

Mr Parsloe says the port was limping along, and he was surprised that Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson was promoting a barely functioning port as a success.

"If this is a successful port operation to him, I wouldn't like to see an unsuccessful one."

Mr Parsloe says the port could be back operating at full capacity at short notice, as soon as a threat to make the entire stevedoring workforce redundant and contract out their jobs is lifted.

He says the port could be back to business in a day if the CEO decided that a successful port was more important than destroying secure jobs.

Mr Parsloe says that the employer is using standard divide and rule tactics but has failed to dent the resolve of the over 300 workers on strike who were aware of the issues.

"Our members who make up the great majority of the workforce are of course concerned that a small group have failed to recognize the dangers of what the port company are proposing."

The Union had seen a surge in contributions from the public, and the members on the picket line were very firm, and very committed.

ENDS

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