Union members vote in favor of sixth strike at Auckland Port

01 Feb 2012 - Port Planning

• 300 Maritime Union of New Zealand members vote in favor of strike action

• Wharfies will refuse to handle containers supplied and moved by transport unit Conlinxx

Some 300 Members of the Maritime Union of New Zealand have voted in favor of further industrial action at the Port of Auckland.

The strikes will see wharfies refusing to handle containers moved and delivered to the port by Conlinxx, the transport unit providing roles in Auckland for outsourced shuttle drivers.

The week long strike, agreed yesterday, will start at 7am on February 15. The industrial action will not be continuous, say the union.

“The union is prepared to work through productivity and other issues, but not under the type of threats the management are holding over its employees,” said union president Garry Parsloe in a statement.

“It is aimed at getting management to negotiate rather than dictate.”

The sixth and latest strike is part of an on running battle between the ports management and wharfies, who have grown increasingly concerned at plans to cut the cost of casual labor.

In December, the union dispute cost the port its contract with the world’s largest shipping line Maersk, who decided to end their affiliation with the port and reroute their Southern Star service to neighboring Port Tauranga.

The rerouting of the Maersk service is estimated to have cost the Port of Auckland nearly NZ$20 million a year in revenues.

Auckland also lost its contract with dairy exporter the Fonterra Cooperative Group.

The port company is expected to make a decision over the next week as to whether it will proceed with its plans to outsource jobs, after assessing its response from potential labor suppliers, according to the New Zealand Herald.

However, union members are demanding an answer as to whether their jobs will be contracted out or not.

“We've had enough of the port company threatening us - these workers and their wives and children don't know what is happening to them,” continued Parsole.

“The workers deserve to be told what is happening. The consultation process is just going on and on. The men have had enough of being pushed around.”