Ports of Auckland ‘running amok’ – union

12 Feb 2012 09:34p.m.

Chris wrote:

Its strange how NZ is so anti union, given that Kiwis spend so much time whinging about their working conditions. The people who stood by idly as the Employment Contracts Act disempowered most of the unions now we wonder why we've become such a low wage economy. Many of them have probably already departed for Australia, in search of better wages. Isn't it ironic how one of the worlds most successful economies is also one of the most unionised.

Now the Maritime Union (one of the last to have any clout in NZ)are going in to bat for their members, and the country can't wait to put the boot in! Its quite disgusting how the Port has dealt with this, playing on the jealousies of others in an effort to win over public opinion. Of course a full-time stevedore's wage is going to seem pretty generous when compared to a non-union Warehouse employee. But whose fault is that? Maybe if kiwis hadn't been so apathetic during the neo-liberal reforms of the late 80's and early 90's, then we'd ALL still enjoy decent working conditions, with regular rostered hours and overtime.

Just remember, these guys aren't earning megabucks (unlike their boss), and they're aren't after an obscene payrise or an outrageous bonus - they are simply fighting to keep their EXISTING working conditions. They shouldn't be villified for that.

12 Feb 2012 06:57a.m.

Mike wrote:

There are always hardworking NZ'rs.

Just recently had a ship arrive Thursday afternoon in Ports of Auckland (but before the industrial action currently - November 2011) and due to those socialble hours the ship just didn't get unloaded in a timely manner. By the time it got unloaded, the container loadeded on a truck, and delivered in Auckland - it was Wednesday! Extra delays like this cost customers of the Ports of Auckland heavily.

God knows how poor the performance of the ports is currently with the union deliberately stuffing things up with stop work meetig, go slow, and strikes! Fonterra/Marek will be watching and wiping their foreheads with relief that they moved operations out from Maritime disruption.

#1 the Ports of Auckland is a business, and business is about service. When the ports are busy they need more staff to cover likes of above a ship arriving Thursday but wasn't unloaded Thursday/Friday/Saturday - but Sunday (due apparently because there were a number of ships arrived). The Union is not compromising on extra contract staff in such times. When the port is not busy, it is over staffed and too many are sitting around not working and that efficency is costing Ports of Auckland and all its customers. Check the NZ stats on ports and you will see Tauranga handles ~62 containers/hour while Auckland is ~53 containers/hour - more containers with less people.

Pre-Fonterra the NZDG used to pay a protection racket to NZ unions like the Maritime Union to grease the dishonest people runing the racket. I saw a set of financials that listed around $200 million which was bribes to NZ unions like the Martime union to have them not stuff up our Dairy exports. $200 million in protection money - thats organised crime in my book with the unions right at the centre! We need to have the unions stop being a criminal organisation holding NZ at gun point like the Maritime union is trying to do now.

11 Feb 2012 12:12p.m.

John wrote:

The Auckland's Maritime Union workers are being persecuted by the Ports of Auckland management. No one should have to suffer the indignities being inflicted on the union by management. When ever I go into a shop I am always served by by friendly, smiling staff. What is wrong with them. Is it unreal to be pleasant. Perhaps their managers talk to them. They represent 10's of 1000s of people, not 300. Perhaps some people need to stand back and have a look at themselves. Go for a 24hr "walk about" and have a look at the rest of the world.

11 Feb 2012 10:14a.m.

John wrote:

This is a classical Industrial Dispute. Both sides have problems but because it has draged on for so long, there is now no personal, friendly, contact. Only agressive recrimination and self defence. Can either party say "Inspite of the problems, what we like about the other party is....."? This concentration on criticizing the other party and defending themselves will not fully solve anything. It might get the port moving again but will it alleviate the ill feeling, which is the real problem? Perhaps a 3rd party could offer fresh blood to both sides.
A 3rd party would offer a fresh look at the true problem.

10 Feb 2012 04:54p.m.

Kasey wrote:

@ Mike - So much misinformation in one comment! The union has compromised in the negotiations, and this fact was acknowledged by the company at the last negotiations. It is the company that has not budged at all during the many hours of negotiation, they keep presenting the same deal over and over and threatening workers with the loss of their jobs if they dont agree to what the company wants. The port is currently manned 24/7 by the workers so they could hardly be accused of wanting "sociable" hours as you put it. Its about having some form of structure and certainty around the start and finish times of the shifts and workers being entitled to some form of work/life balance. I dont know where you get your information from but POT does NOT handle more containers than Auckland. POA handles close to 140,000 containers a year, POT handles around 80,000. but thats only according to the ministry of transport report on port productivity 2011, maybe you know better. POA management has made a mess of the situation, despite a CEO earning $750k and numerous consultants advising him, we are two months down the track with workers and their families still in limbo not knowing if they are to be made redundant or not.

10 Feb 2012 04:05p.m.

Prov wrote:

Mike, obviously you either don't know what's going on, or you are a liar. The union has been prepared to compromise and is still seeking a compromise. The port management have said they will not compromise. You don't seem to think workers should have "sociable hours." Do you have a family? Do you think you have the right to spend some time with them – and know when you are rostered on to shifts that could be any time, any length, any day or night of the year? Also your comment about Tauranga displays complete ignorance. The reason Tauranga have less staff is that they contract all the work out to other companies who have casual workforces who are too scared to complain about anything, because they get the sack. WORKERS UNITE

10 Feb 2012 03:43p.m.

John wrote:

Mike's comments sound very plausable, if slightly exagerated. QUESTION Does the union reflect the views of all the workers, or is it just trying to justify it's existance and consequently worked into a corner from which it can not move without "loosing face"? There must be some genuine, hard working, kiwi blokes out there. There are a lot in my town.

10 Feb 2012 01:10p.m.

Mike wrote:

So what the union is basically saying is they want political intervention to stop the possibility of contracting out.

If the union hadn't held the country to ransom and was prepaid to compromise then things like Fonterra and Marek moving operations to Tauranga would not have happened. But no! 'Socialable Hours' was more important than jobs to the union so they have had over a dozen stop work meetings and strikes and haven't moved an inch. The union have made such a mess of the situation the ports have only one real choice, keep going till they solve the problem, ie get contracting out and improved port efficiency.

The port cant afford to back down now as they have spent too much on it. If they back down now they will just have to go through the same again in a year or so - ie backing down will solve nothing!

Ports of Tauranga handles more containers than Auckland, yet has roughly 1/3 the staff, as the Maritime union insists on its 'sociable hours' instead of getting the job done. In the long term no port can afford that inefficency so things need to change. Basically Auckland has too many staff when things are quiet, and not enough when its busy, to the scale of almost 3x the workforce of Tauranga, AKA they are sitting on their butts not working while NZ pays for it!