employment relations – Page 6 – Maritime Union of New Zealand

Free trade deal biggest threat to workers since Employment Contracts Act

October 6, 2006

The Maritime Union says the free trade deal with China is the biggest threat to workers in New Zealand since the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act in 1991.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the importation of short-term, casualized skilled labour being paid the minimum wage will be a disaster.

“This is obviously going to have a major and negative effect on wages and conditions in New Zealand.”

A cashless Christmas for foreign fishing crews far from home

December 22, 2006

A second group of Ukrainian crew members aboard the arrested vessel Aleksandr Ksenofontov in Dunedin are at loggerheads with employers and have approached the Maritime Union seeking help.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the situation with the fishing vessel is a classic example of the problems still coming to the surface in the fishing industry.

Mr Hanson says around 14 senior crew members, believed to be officers, have approached the Dunedin police and the Maritime Union claiming their contract has been broken.

Fisheries Minister throwing New Zealand jobs to the sharks

June 23, 2009

The Maritime Union has slammed comments by Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley about employment in New Zealand’s fishing industry, and say they make a bad joke out of the Government’s commitment to protect jobs.
Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says Mr Heatley has publicly admitted that New Zealand jobs are not a priority in the New Zealand fishing industry.

Labour employment relations policy deals with important issues

October 26, 2008

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the release of the Labour Party’s policy for employment relations today.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says it is important that the policy has focussed on providing protections for workers in a time of global economic turmoil.

“The Maritime Union position is that we need to pay more attention to the job security and stability for workers, and this policy has taken these issues on board.”