Port of Auckland Must be More Reasonable

Council of Trade Unions Media Statement

Port of Auckland Must be More Reasonable

The Council of Trade Unions says that the industrial dispute at the Port of Auckland is shaping up to be the biggest industrial dispute for many years.

Peter Conway, CTU Secretary, says that it is not too late for commonsense to prevail.

Peter Conway attended two days of mediation in Auckland and says that “the Port of Auckland management need to be more reasonable in their approach to bargaining”.

He says that the Port of Auckland acknowledged in bargaining today that the changes they are seeking are ‘huge’ and ‘radical’.

“In essence”, says Peter Conway, “the Port management are saying that the union must agree to all of these radical changes or all workers will be dismissed. That is no way to negotiate”.

Peter Conway said that much of the debate is about how much flexibility is reasonable and to what extent any changes should be agreed rather than imposed by management.

“Some flexibility is okay and can work for both employers and workers. But too much flexibility imposed by employers wrecks family life and creates huge insecurity for workers. Already these workers are only entitled to one weekend off every 3 weeks.”

“The Maritime Union has agreed during these negotiations to 12 hour shifts, a system to swap between shifts, reduced overtime rates, more part time workers, and for all workers to be on a floating roster across 24 hours”.

“But the Port wants more, and more”.

Peter Conway said that the port is profitable, the container movement rate last year reached the highest on record, and staff time per container was reduced by 16 percent over the last 4 years. There is no crisis at the port.

“It needs to be remembered that between them these workers handle 37 percent of New Zealand’s container trade by working every hour, of every day of the entire year”.

Peter Conway said that it appears there is an agenda to get rid of decent jobs in New Zealand. A growing number of employers, encouraged by the Government’s attacks on work rights, dismissal of public sector workers and demands for ‘competitiveness’ are taking this approach as shown by the actions of ANZCO in 2011 with a 65 day lockout, Affco commencing an indefinite lockout and the extreme stance taken by Port of Auckland in these negotiations.

“No-one wants this conflict. It will not bring the ‘brighter future’ this Government has promised.

“This approach is what we saw in the 1990s. It meant lower pay and conditions, poverty and hardship”.

“It looks like it is all on again”.

ENDS

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