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Maritime Union strikes for three weeks


Union gives Ports of Auckland notice of its longest strike yet.

NBR staff
Fri, 24 Feb 2012

The Maritime Union of NZ (MUNZ) has given Ports of Auckland notice of a three weeks of strikes - its longest industrial action in the pair's current dispute..

A picket began today.

Ports of Auckland said the action would hit at peak export season.

MUNZ members covered under the a collective agreement with PoA go on three week-long strikes – the 9th, 10th and 11th strikes since December - starting Friday 24 February to 16 March.

“These repeated strikes only serve to make it difficult to set dates for further mediation, while placing unwarranted pressure on staff, families, customers and the supply chain,” said Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Tony Gibson said.

Mr Gibson said that the campaign being run by the union over ‘privatisation’ and ‘casualisation’ has no basis in fact and is not what the dispute between the Port and MUNZ members is about.

”The Union is trying to portray greater flexibility as casualisation – these are two different things. A casual has no set hours or days of work. That would not be the case either under a collective agreement or with competing stevedoring companies. The number or proportion of people with permanent jobs would not be significantly different. Our offer in bargaining for a Collective Agreement was actually to give more casual employees full time positions.”

“Its getting difficult to understand what the union is now striking over.”

Industrial action by the Union has to date disrupted over $1 billion worth of trade and caused the loss of $25m worth of business to Ports of Auckland, PoA said.

NBR staff
Fri, 24 Feb 2012
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Maritime Union strikes for three weeks
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