Maritime Union notifies New Year industrial action at Ports of Auckland

23 December 2011

The Maritime Union has placed notice of a new 48 hour strike at the Ports of Auckland from 11pm on Monday 9 January 2012 to 11pm Wednesday 11 January 2012.

Maritime Union National President Garry Parsloe says members instructed officials to place the strike notice today due to the depth of their concern at the attitude and approach of senior management to negotiations.

Mr Parsloe says the Union intends to continue to negotiate for a settlement that works for workers.

"Workers family life and job security are not up for sale."

A special meeting of Ports of Auckland workers was held today, where family members were also invited to discuss the industrial situation, several of whom spoke to the meeting.

A motion of censure and no confidence in the Ports of Auckland CEO's handling of the dispute and the Board of Director's inability to contain their CEO, was also carried by the meeting.

Mr Parsloe says this was a reflection of the deep anger and disappointment workers felt at the actions of the Port company management who had attacked them in public and had circulated misinformation about wages, conditions and port productivity to hostile employers organizations and political bloggers.

He says that apart from the industrial action, Maritime Union members at Ports of Auckland would be working their shifts through the Holiday period, as they do every year, and the stoppages were intended to focus the CEO on the quality not the quantity of the proposals management were bringing to the table.

ENDS

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