Management’s ‘false-redundancy’ strategy will cost Auckland

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Media Release

Port Management’s ‘false-redundancy’ strategy will cost Auckland rate-payers dearly

The country’s largest private sector union, the EPMU, says the move by the Ports of Auckland to contract out the work of its 300 stevedores is totally irresponsible and could adversely impact the nation’s economic recovery.

EPMU national secretary, Bill Newson, deplores the “false-redundancy strategy” used by POAL management that will cost Auckland rate-payers millions of dollars in redundancy pay and create a less efficient, less viable Port.

“At a time when many manufacturing companies and their supply chains are struggling, the management of POAL has potentially thrown a grenade into the operation of one of the country’s most strategically important exporting/importing hubs,” says Mr Newson.

He says POAL management have taken the collective agreement dispute from bad to worse, and made a mockery of the good faith bargaining process. “I’m aware of Port workers making concessions in the bargaining process that have clearly shown they want a negotiated settlement. A belligerent and close-minded management has acted in bad faith to the dis-service to the people of Auckland and the rest of the country.”

Mr Newson says the EPMU will continue to stand with the Ports workers in their struggle to maintain secure jobs and is vowing to continue to support them. “This is a shocking example of poor management decision-making which not only threatens and attacks of the families of their 300 employees but will set back productivity and financial gains that have been made at POAL.”

The EPMU is organising its members to attend the rally in downtown Auckland this Saturday in support of the sacked POAL workers.

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