5 April 2018

Lyttelton Port refuses to compromise with workers: further industrial action on the cards

Disappointed by Lyttelton Port Company’s refusal to compromise and resolve the continuing industrial dispute, port workers have again given 14 days’ notice of industrial action to begin on 20 April.

“Our members voted on this before Easter, but we held off issuing further strike notices in the hope the company would alter their approach to the negotiations. We hoped everyone could take a deep breath and find a proper resolution, especially as the Port’s chief executive has returned from his overseas trip.

“Unfortunately that hasn’t happened,” says John Kerr, South Island organiser for the Rail and Maritime Transport Union.

“There have been discussions, but once again LPC has rejected any compromise we suggested. They remain determined to force our members to pick between inferior pay and conditions, or unsafe rosters.

“Today we’ve issued notice that our members will go on strike for five days from 20 April.

“LPC should use the next 14 days to think about how they’re treating the people who make their profits. They seem more focussed on imposing unfair pay and conditions than letting us get back to work.

“We cannot give up this fight, but we want to resolve this dispute quickly and restore security to the South Island logistics supply chain.

“Our members want to be safe and healthy at work, to be remunerated the same as other workers at the port doing the same or equal work, and for their employer to be flexible rather than inflexible in negotiating with them.

“We’ve bent over backwards to try and sort this out, meeting with management multiple times and providing many options to resolve this dispute,” says John Kerr.

“We thank the people of Canterbury for the support they’ve shown us. We know that they understand decent jobs and fair employment agreements are the only way to keep our region going.”

ENDS

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