legislation – Maritime Union of New Zealand

Ratification of Maritime Labour Convention welcomed

March 11, 2016

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention by the New Zealand Government.

Health and safety reforms must not be watered down

August 5, 2015

The Government must get the Health and Safety Reform Bill back on track and not water down its central protections for workers.

Sign the petition against zero hour contracts

February 18, 2015

The Maritime Union is supporting the campaign against zero hour contracts. Please sign the Labour Party petition here.

Fishing Bill a major step towards fixing industry problems

July 31, 2014

The Maritime Union says the passing of a bill today 31 July 2014 reforming the fishing industry is a major step in fixing serious problems.

Labour work and wages policy good for working people

July 31, 2014

Labour’s new policy on work and wages, announced today, is good for the working people of New Zealand.

Government needs to get Fishing reform bill passed now

July 27, 2014

The Maritime Union is urging the Government to push through the Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill to protect workers from exploitation and abuse.

New ports bill a positive move

August 16, 2012

The Maritime Union says a new members bill that will increase the transparency and accountability of publicly owned New Zealand ports is a positive move and has wide support.

Government can put New Zealanders in containers, but it can’t give them jobs shipping them

August 27, 2009

The Maritime Union has a message for the Government: instead of jailing New Zealanders in containers, it would be better to have them working on the containers by rebuilding coastal shipping.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins announced today a “container unit” will be set up at Rimutaka Prison to house surging numbers of prisoners, the latest embarrassing step in New Zealand’s failure to confront the real issues behind crime.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says New Zealand workers have been forced out of maritime employment in their own country by allowing overseas labour to be exploited on the New Zealand coastal waters.

He says that due to the “open coast” policy introduced by National in the 1990s New Zealand had seen its shipping industry taken apart, while many other countries reserved their domestic merchant shipping and fisheries for local industry.