Ports of Auckland families tell their story in online video
Ports of Auckland workers and their families struggling to defend secure jobs and their livelihoods have taken their message to the people in a three minute online video.
The workers and their families explain how changes being promoted by management of the Auckland City owned port will affect their families.
Maritime Union National President Garry Parsloe says the video provides a short but hard hitting insight into the real issues of casualization and contracting out.
“Our members are hard working family people and once people see this video, they will appreciate what is at stake in this dispute.”
Mr Parsloe says the workers at the Port have been vilified by their employer in public, even though some have worked at the port for decades, contributing to its success and contributing to Auckland as ratepayers and citizens.
Great video, really gets your point across.
Kia kaha to all the workers and their families who are on the butt-end of this.
I am an employer in the construction industry where I have seen the outcome of using “contract labour” especially in a recessionary economy….it ultimately creats peasant workers put of the many, doing the bidding of the rich-and-powerful few.
I’m in Christchurch but If its ok with the workers i want to come with my staff and join the picket line? I will pay the fares, a nights accommodation, and a days wages for any of my staff that want to come with me and I hereby challenge any other right minded employer who reads this to do the same.
It’s time for all “kiwi-battlers-from-struggle-street” to stand against the cronie capitalism and greed that is permeating our once great egalitarian nation, and it’s behoven on those of us with the means to help make it happen…..
Hi Peter
Can I come and work for you! You sound like a great kiwi bloke! I’m being made redundant from my govt job in Southland while they are increasing the salaries and number of staff at our National Office! Wellington is like Soddom and Gomorrah and the sooner it implodes the better!
kia kaha ma
Cindy
Kia ora Cindy,
What’s your skill set?
I’m not asking cos I have a job to offer you, but given the growth curve in construction that Canterbury is currently on, there is very shortly going to be an enormous demand for good managers, administrators, etc.
Also if you’re serious about coming here I could certainly point you to any opportunities that I hear about as-well-as giving you a good steer regarding the companies to to either pursue or avoid.
Nga mihi nui
Peter R
Morena Peter
I’m a statutory land administrator at DOC. They are centralising DOC “back office boys” (yea that’s me lol)and moving work out of the regions (we incidentally have one of the largest conservancies in nz)to service centres in Chch, Dunedin, Wellington, Hamilton and Hokitika, to gain efficiencies. Not a lot of call for people with my skills whose daily bread is administering the Reserves Act and managing conservation lands. What we lose is local knowledge – it’s nothing new. I’d be impressed if the govt came up with a brand new idea to gain efficiencies but centralisation isn’t one of them. It wont work and eventually the work will become regional again but in the interim jobs, skills, experience and loyalty are lost. I can read surveys, legislation, I do project management i.e. when we acquire land it usually requires subdivision, fencing, weed eradication, valuation. My job is to co-ordinate all that including any funding applications. I run tender process for fencers, run budgets and oversee the whole project from start to finish. Thanks for your time Peter.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for a well worded and thought out post. I have come onto this site to try and gain some balance on this issue. My current view is that POAL made the right decision.
I find your thoughts very interesting and not what I would have expected from an employer, especially seeing as you don’t seem to exemplify what you are currently stating will happen. i.e. You sound very fair and you seem to provide a generous workplace for your employees, yet you don’t seem to think others would? I could possibly accept your concerns for unskilled labour, but government regulated minimum wage looks after that. As far as skilled workers are concerned, surely market competition will ensure salaries remain competitive? Just as they do today in many ununionised industries?
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Eh???