EPMU Regrets Government Ship Contract Going Overseas

The EPMU has expressed its disappointment that a major government contract has been awarded to a company in Singapore rather than one in New Zealand and says government procurement should be used to support skilled New Zealand jobs.

NIWA vessel RV Tangaroa will be sent to Singapore for conversion work rather than have the estimated 80,000 hours of work carried out by VT Fitzroy at the Devonport Naval Base Dockyard, work the dockyard is quite capable of performing.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said the Government had missed an opportunity to boost business for a New Zealand company and its 140 workers at a crucial point in the fragile economic recovery.

“Even though the Government will show a small saving by getting the job done in Singapore it would have served New Zealand taxpayers better in the long run to keep such high-value high-skilled work in New Zealand. The investment in our own marine engineering sector would surely have been more valuable than the small saving to the public purse by sending the work overseas.

“If the Government truly wants to help the New Zealand economy it had a prime opportunity to put its money where its mouth is with the tender from VT Fitzroy. Instead it is Singaporean companies and workers who will enjoy the benefit of our taxpayers’ dollars. ”

The EPMU represents 78 workers at VT Fitzroy which provides engineering support to naval vessels and other ships.

The EPMU is New Zealand’s largest private sector union with 45,000 members in 11 industries including 9,000 members in manufacturing.

ENDS

© Scoop Media