Representing New Zealand maritime workers since 2002
The Maritime Union says it will fight to protect job security as the backlash grows against the National Government’s attempt to push through the “fire at will” bill before Christmas.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the attempt to rush through the 90 day “fire at will” bill through at a time of mounting unemployment and job insecurity is madness.
Read MoreThe Maritime Union of New Zealand today voiced support for striking Air New Zealand cabin crew.
The 240 crew employed by Air NZ subsidiary Zeal walked off the job today for four days after months of fruitless negotiations over pay parity with staff employed directly by the airline.
Read MoreThe Maritime Union of New Zealand says it does not accept the Ports of Auckland proposal to slash 30 jobs.
Maritime Union Local 13 Auckland Waterfront Branch President Denis Carlisle says the union met today with Ports of Auckland management to discuss the proposal.
He says the Union is concerned with the level of job losses and does not accept the reasons given by management.
Read MoreMaritime Union Local 13 President Denis Carlisle argues in the New Zealand Herald that attempts to rehash the privatization of the Ports of Auckland are pointless.
Read MoreThe Maritime Union says the Government’s transport funding plan is an environmental and economic travesty.
The National Government has changed spending commitments of the previous Government and and released a statement on money it will put into developing land transport (including sea transport) for the next ten years.
The new plan includes a three year commitment to spending over seven billion dollars on road related expenditure – and even includes $51 million for cycling and walkways.
In comparison, it puts forward $1 million for “rail and sea freight” and $3 million for “domestic sea freight development.” (Yes – the figure is million not billion.)
That’s about one cent on rail and sea freight development for every twenty dollars on roads.
Read MoreThe Maritime Union has savaged a Government plan to reduce holidays for New Zealand workers by permitting “cash ups” of the fourth week of annual leave.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Trevor Hanson says that the plan will effectively force ordinary workers to give up a weeks holiday while permitting well-paid executives and managers to spend more time at the beach.
Read MoreThe Maritime Union of New Zealand says that any proposal to privatize the Ports of Auckland would create a “perfect storm of opposition.”
Maritime Union Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says those pushing the plan were people out of time.
“There is obviously a faction out there who want to bring back port privatization plans from the dead.”
Mr Carlisle says that the privatization strategy with the Ports of Auckland failed in the 1990s due to mass public opposition and recent attempts to part-privatize the Ports of Lyttelton had also ended in failure.
Read MoreNew Zealand’s two leading transport unions say that pouring public money only into roading and ignoring other transport infrastructure is a mistake.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand, representing seafarers and waterfront workers,and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, representing rail and port workers, are concerned that economic stimulus plans focus transport investment exclusively on roading.
The transport unions say that while the Government is correct in investing in infrastructure as a stimulus for the economy, it’s sole focus on investing in roads is wrong.
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