Business supports Port stand

Despite disruptions to imports and export, business in New Zealand supports Ports of Auckland (PoAL) as strike action by the Maritime Union (MUNZ) rages on.

“The overwhelming message we get from business is in support of the port - they want the port to remain competitive," according to the new chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturer's Association, Kim Campbell.

"On the one hand they have exports and imports being held up. On the other hand, they want the port to stay competitive,” he says.

Negotiations between MUNZ and PoAL had taken far too long.

“My view is that if PoAL could get a reasonable settlement, it would. I don’t think for a minute this is about union bashing at all and I think, most certainly, that rate payers should be outraged that the union members have invited rabble-rousers from overseas over the weekend. We had union organisers from the United States and Australia here. What would happen if you went to Australia and did that? They would lock you up in 10 minutes.”

He says PoAL has shown good faith by negotiating with MUNZ during the strike action.

“You have to examine the facts. The port has been prepared to negotiate with the unions even though they are striking. Nowhere in the world do people negotiate with a union when they are on strike. How can they say there is poor faith here, when the port is prepared to negotiate when the union is on strike. I really think there is a lot of posturing from the union,” says Mr Campbell.

While the strike has affected international freight companies such as Maersk,  Mr Campbell says he did not believe these companies would stop using Auckland, despite the strike action.

“Where the market is, the ships will come. While no one wants this disruption and it doesn’t look good, shipping companies want to know that once it is fixed, it is fixed for good and we want to be competitive. I think they will come back but it isn’t a good look for New Zealand now.”

By the end of February a number of ships had to be diverted from the Auckland Harbour and an estimated $ 3.5 million was lost in revenue. It is not known what the end cost will be as business along the supply chain are negatively impacted.

“For business it is terrible, I have been called in from businesses in the Bay of Plenty and they are having trouble getting their raw materials to their factories and so on. You can’t have the major port in the country shut down and being disruptive. It is and that is why the unions went on strike, they want to disrupt people,” Mr Campbell says.

While businesses have had to “muddle through” by directing their supplies to different ports, he says the long term affect could see supermarket shelves running out of goods.

“We just have to tough it out and hopefully this thing will be resolved and the port will be back up to speed,” he says.