Maritimes October 2007

Maritimes The

Issue 19 • October 2007

Magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand

ISSN 1176-3418

The most important word in the language of the working class is ‘solidarity.’ – Harry Bridges

Interport 2008 • Flags of Convenience • Port roundups • International news

www.munz.org.nz

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 1

ELECTIONS

Local body elections: why vote?

by Ruth Dyson Minister of Labour

Get on a Roll Voting in this year’s local council and district health board elections will take place from 21 September until 13 October 2007.

Voting papers will come in the mail and need to be sent back to your local council electoral officer by 12 noon Saturday 13 October.

Only people correctly enrolled to vote will get the voting papers.

If you haven’t already enrolled you can cast a special vote.

You can enrol to vote online at www.elections.govt.nz or order an enrolment pack on 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56).

What are local elections?

The local elections happen every three years. People vote to select members of councils and District Health Boards.

Regional councils are responsible for natural resources, environmental planning and all regulations administered at a regional level.

2 | The Maritimes | October 2007

City councils and district councils provide local services such as water, rubbish collection and disposal, sewage treatment, parks, reserves, street lighting, roads and libraries. They process building and environmental consents and administer other regulatory tasks.

Community boards focus on matters affecting your immediate community and representing these to the full city or district council.

District health boards are responsible for the delivery of publicly funded health and disability support services for an area. District health board elections give communities the opportunity to elect seven of the 11 board members for each of the 21 boards around the country.

How do I vote?

Local council and district health board elections are done by postal voting. This means you will get and send your voting papers back in the mail.

International studies show that the more people participate in their communities, the more successful those communities become. But if voter turnout at local elections is a measure of New Zealanders’ involvement in their communities, then many communities will be losing out.

While New Zealanders’ turnout at general elections is relatively high, in the last local election of 2004 only 46 percent of eligible voters voted.

This is despite the fact that local bodies are responsible for a vast range of services to promote the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of our communities.

Whether it is arranging public transport, providing piped water, maintaining streets and parks, or regulating land use, the impact of local body decisions is often far more immediate and visible than that of national decisions.

Whatever reasons people give for not voting, they are not doing themselves or their communities any favours by not exercising their right.

For starters, if voters don’t vote, those elected cannot claim a strong mandate, making it more difficult for leaders to lead. It is less likely that issues will get the vigorous debates they deserve; and there is more risk of decisions being made that most people – the “silent majority” – don’t agree with. They could be decisions that affect the value of your house, the safety of your neighbourhood, or any number of things that impact on you and your family’s quality of life.

The many examples of good work and leadership provided by local authorities have happened despite the lack of participation by many in the community. The next local body elections, in October, are an opportunity for New Zealanders to give their communities a better chance of success.

The most compelling evidence of the benefits to everyone when people engage with their communities and show an interest in the political process is shown clearly in Harvard Professor Robert Putnam’s internationally acclaimed study of regional governments in Italy. Putnam tried to understand why, over a period of two decades, some regions developed more successfully than others. He concluded: “These communities did not become civic because they were rich. The historical record suggests precisely the opposite.

They became rich because they were civic.”

The essential ingredient in the successful regions was the high level of participation that people had in their community.

They turned out to vote, they had effective local government, they built healthy, positive communities, and from this strong civic base they created wealth.

In other words, participation and interaction enables people to build communities, to commit themselves to each other, and to knit the social fabric.

Having a sense of belonging and the concrete experience of social networks (and the relationships of trust and tolerance that can be involved) can bring great benefits to people.

Putman says that most day-to-day issues in our communities – whether it be public health, crime rates, race relations, community development, teen suicide, economic productivity, even simple human happiness – all are demonstrably affected by how (and whether) we connect with our family and friends and community.

By taking an interest, and casting your vote for your local community leaders, you have nothing to lose but plenty to gain.

www.munz.org.nz

EDITORIAL

From the Editor’s Desk The Maritime Union could be described as “quality not quantity.”

Although not a large union in terms of numbers, the Maritime Union is respected for our leadership role in the wider Union movement. We support other workers in their struggles and have a remarkable history, both waterfront workers and seafarers.

In talking to and hearing from officials and members around the country, there are a number of areas that we could improve.

These few points below I think are very specific to our Union.

Edition 19, October 2007

Contents Enrol to vote Editorial and contents General Secretary’s Report Update from National President News Veterans’ Association Profile: Alister Barry Flag of Convenience Shipping ITF Viewpoint: “Proud to be a docker” Health and Safety CTU Learning Reps Phosphate ships Port Roundups Obituaries The Back Page

2 3 4 5 6 7 11 12 13 16 18 19 19 20 28 29 32

Flags of Convenience page 12

Stopwork meetings are a vital part of a healthy and open union.

They are educational, informative, sometimes fiery, and often great fun. They provide an opportunity for us as organized workers to exercise our collective will and get things done. If you don’t go to your local union meetings, then start going. This is probably the most important contribution you can make as a Union member.

Port parochialism

‘The Maritimes’ is published quarterly by the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

ISSN 1176-3418 National Office: PO Box 27004 Wellington New Zealand Telephone 04 3850 792 Fax 04 3848 766 Email: trevor.hanson@muno.org.nz Web: www.munz.org.nz Editor: Victor Billot Mobile: 021 482219 Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz Editorial Board: Trevor Hanson, Phil Adams, Garry Parsloe and Russell Mayn Deadline for all Port reports, submissions, photos and letters: 1 December 2007 for next edition Cover photo of logs being worked at Bluff 2007 by Harry Holland (Harry writes – hey comrades, note the neat stow. You could play snooker on them.)

Cover quote from Harry Bridges (1901–1990), maritime unionist and leader of the ILWU More information at: www.theharrybridgesproject.org/biography. html Thanks to our photographers: Terry Ryan, Harry Holland, Garry Parsloe, Jay, Kathy Whelan, Sam Huggard, Renee Habluetzel, Martin Brabander, Dave Morgan, John Bisset at the Timaru Herald, and others

Union meetings

Spotless dispute

page 6

Contact the Maritime Union National Office Telephone: 04 3850 792 Fax: 04 3848 766 Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington Office administrator: Ramesh Pathmanathan Email: ramesh@muno.org.nz General Secretary: Trevor Hanson Direct dial: 04 8017 614 Mobile: 021 390585 Email: trevor.hanson@muno.org.nz National President: Phil Adams Direct dial: 03 4728 052 Mobile: 0274 377601 Email: phil.adams@munz.org.nz National Vice President: Garry Parsloe Direct dial: 09 3032 562 Mobile: 021 326261 Email: garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz Assistant General Secretary: Russell Mayn Direct dial: 09 3034 652 Mobile: 021 760886 Email: russell@munz.org.nz ITF Inspectorate: Kathy Whelan Direct dial: 04 8017 613 Mobile: 021 666405 Email: kathy.whelan@muno.org.nz Communications Officer: Victor Billot Mobile: 021 482219 Fax: 03 4535 593 Address: PO Box 339, Dunedin Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz

www.munz.org.nz

Port parochialism - or in other words, “my port before my Union.” This seems to be an unfortunate legacy of the post-1951 splitting up of the Waterfront Workers Union into a federation of port unions.

The attitude that maritime workers can somehow win by competing with each other is against every Union principle, and also does not measure up to reality. We are going to see many changes in port structure and operations in the next few years with the ongoing pressure for hubbing and coastal feeder ports.

The way to deal with this issue successfully is to use our collective strength on a national basis to ensure the best possible outcome for all members.

Union politics While it is important to have a strong influence on parliament and support political parties that are pro-worker, we need to realize that an independent and strong Union will outlast both good and bad governments. Over-reliance on the bureaucracy, legislation, “partnership” with employers and “doing things by the book” is a recipe for ineffectiveness. A militant, conscious and activist union culture is our key tool in getting results for workers.

Growing the Union Many deunionized workers in New Zealand today struggle with appalling treatment, poor wages and conditions. The Maritime Union needs to have an aggressive plan to bring in maritime workers outside the Union. We need to improve our coverage and start organizing in areas that are non-union.

Younger members The 1980s and 1990s saw massive attacks on workers, and maritime workers in particular. We have new members coming through now, who in many cases have never experienced a union.

There is a massive gap of knowledge amongst younger people about our industrial and social history and “how things work”.

It is our responsibility as a Union to educate and bring our younger members forward. They need to be involved in Union meetings, brought to conferences and national meetings of the Union as observers, encouraged to become delegates and stand for executive office in branches.

Within the next decade we are going to see many of our most experienced members retire out of the industry. (We intend that they can be organized into our new Veterans’ Association.)

By that time it is vital that we have the new generation moving up with the confidence, education and attitude to take the Maritime Union forward into the 21st century.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 3

COMMENT

International unity pays off

by Trevor Hanson General Secretary

Global economy gets the shakes The recent shakedown in the global economy is not unexpected and is probably long overdue.

We read in the corporate-owned media about “market corrections” but what we don’t get told is the human stories.

The international economy now seems to be run along the lines of a casino. The people who do the work, the vast majority of the world’s population, have little or no control on the big decisions that affect their lives and livelihood. Those decisions are made in boardrooms for the benefit of a few.

The concern is that with the way that free trade agreements and free markets are being set up, even more power is being handed over to private interests. The Maritime Union has been questioning the potential for casual, cut-price workers to be moved around internationally under free trade agreements.

Governments, business and bureaucrats tell us we have nothing to worry about.

“If there is one thing history has shown us, it is that every gain on the job has been the result of hard struggle”

4 | The Maritimes | October 2007

However they won’t be the ones having their wages and conditions slashed.

Unless we continue to question and resist the pressures on our jobs then we will wake up one day and find the worst case scenario is now reality.

If there is one thing history has shown us, it is that every gain on the job has been the result of hard struggle. Those gains can quite easily be taken away if employers get the upper hand.

Unions need to do more to educate our members about how these issues affect us, and what we can do about them.

Individually we can have little impact but collectively we have a chance of changing things.

Low wages the serious issue The wage issue is probably the most serious issue facing New Zealand today.

Wages are too low.

One argument used against wage increases is that they are “inflationary” – unlike profit increases, which are fine.

Employers are allowed as much loot as they can get their hands on. Workers get a pay increase and it is called a threat to civilization.

The fact is that around the world over the last generation, the share of worker generated profit going to the workers has become less and less.

It is now standard practice that a two income family is the norm. On average wages, even a two income family will struggle to obtain or maintain a mortgage.

So we now have a huge number of extra women workers in the workforce compared to past generations, but workers are still struggling and the amount being paid as wages seems to be shrinking. Funny that.

It might be something to do with the fact that profits have gone up through the roof.

Workers are now being told they have to pay for their own retirement, education, and even health care if they want to get seen to.

Yet the taxes paid by corporations towards an educated and healthy workforce continue to drop.

One positive move is the recent dumping of youth rates. 16 and 17 year old workers are now eligible for the adult minimum wage. However the bill was watered down to make youth workers have to work for either three months or 200 hours to be eligible for the adult minimum wage.

By that stage half of them will be 18 anyway.

But congratulations to Sue Bradford for pushing on with the bill regardless, despite opposition. At least in this one area we have seen some small but real progress.

International unity pays off for workers There is one good spinoff of globalization and that seems to be the growing ability of unions and workers to unite over international boundaries.

The Maritime Union is affiliated to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). Two of the campaigns the ITF has been promoting lately have been the case of Pedro Zamora in Guatemala and the case of Mansour Osanloo in Iran.

Pedro Zamora was a dockers’ leader who was assassinated. The ITF have been pressuring the Guatemalan Government which obviously has corrupt elements.

Mansour Osanloo is the leader of the Teheran Bus Drivers’ Union and has been repeatedly harrassed, jailed and abused by the Iranian authorities.

The ITF has been running international campaigns to support these workers, which can be read about on their website www.itfglobal.org It’s a strange thing, but no matter whether governments are capitalist, communist, or Islamic, they never seem to like trade unions much.

These cases remind us of the old saying “Touch One, Touch All.” Maritime workers in New Zealand have had to call on the support of our international friends before and we have always had a good response.

We need to make sure we contribute back in their time of need as well.

www.munz.org.nz

COMMENT

Collective action gets results for workers

by Phil Adams National President

Union fights to keep waterfront jobs safe The Maritime Union is still encountering ongoing problems with selfloading in New Zealand ports.

The whole fishing industry and its use of overseas labour has been a serious issue for years. There has been some progress made with getting conditions and wage rates tightened up. But there seems to be a direct link between how active the Union is in pointing out problems, and how much effort Government agencies put into policing the rules.

One area we are still completely unhappy with is the area of self-loading. This is when ships’ crews including fishing crews start doing waterfront work. The problem is especially serious when we consider that most overseas crews will get paid far less than New Zealand workers. The effect this will have on local jobs and wages is obvious.

A recent incident in Nelson reported on later in this issue of the Maritimes has left the Union unimpressed after a weak response from the authorities.

The attitude of the employers in this area is a disgrace and they are obviously only motivated by their own greed, regardless of what effect they have on fellow human beings.

However we are not going to be given the brush off and will continue to press employers and bureaucrats on the issue.

The other point is that despite the usual denials the Maritime Union is certain that future attempts will be made to have short term, casual labour imported from low wage overseas countries to do waterfront and other work.

www.munz.org.nz

This situation is also made more serious by the continued circling of global port and shipping operators who want to get their hands on New Zealand ports, and the continued efforts to make New Zealand the experimental case for a free trade deal with China.

Experience around the world shows us that labour mobility is part of free trade deals. The labour mobility is not done for the benefit of workers, it is done to cut labour costs to the lowest possible level.

If any incidents of self-loading are occurring in your port, we urge you to report it immediately to your Union branch and the National office of the Union. It is our duty as union members to be vigilant at all times.

Spotless dispute another success for workers’ unity The recent lockout of hospital workers by Spotless Services and the progress made by those workers was an interesting sign of the times.

Like the Progressive supermarket lockout last year, it shows that large groups of low paid workers are now taking collective action to get better wages and conditions.

This is a positive sign and shows the way forward.

The Maritime Union supported this action in those areas where the lockout was happening (not in all cities).

The most serious overall problems facing workers in New Zealand on the job are poor wages and insecurity (casualization, shift work and irregular hours).

These on the job actions are valuable because they build union membership and solidarity amongst workers. We cannot rely on Government legislation to solve our problems. There needs to be a strong renewal of unionism on the job.

The Maritime Union will continue to offer our support to workers trying to organize and improve their conditions throughout New Zealand.

Having your say in the local body elections The Union encourages all members to enrol and vote in the upcoming local body elections. By electing representatives who are pro-worker and pro-Union we can have a positive influence on our local communities.

Apart from the general issues which face us all as citizens there is another important reason to vote in the local elections.

Many ports in New Zealand are part or fully owned by local bodies. These include Regional, District and City Councils, depending on the port. We should be asking candidates what their views on port ownership are.

Of course next year is going to be an even bigger fight.

“There needs to be a strong renewal of unionism on the job”

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 5

NEWS

Victory for Spotless Workers

Maritime Union Bluff Branch Secretary Ray Fife hands over a solidarity donation of $500 to the locked out Spotless workers in Invercargill (photo by Harry Holland)

Members of the SFWU (Service and Food Workers Union) have won a major victory against a lockout by employer Spotless Services.

800 hospital cleaners, kitchen staff and orderlies from 12 hospitals around New Zealand were locked out in July 2007 by Australian company Spotless Services Ltd. The company used the lockout to attack workers after strike action was considered to make the company join an agreement that other hospital contractors had signed up to.

Spotless were forced to back down and return to negotiations on 24 July after the Employment Court said the lockout was illegal.

All Spotless workers will receive pay increases of up to 27% as a result of the agreement.

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The SFWU is campaigning for common conditions across sites to be standardised into a single employer collective agreement.

A locked-out hospital worker from Rotorua, Inez Galvin, told the Daily Post on 19 July that she had worked for Rotorua Hospital for 20 years.

She had only received one pay increase in all that time – around two years ago when the minimum wage was lifted from $10.20 to $11.25 per hour.

Galvin said that it was not enough pay for the work she does. “We have to deal with all sorts of things most people would turn their backs on — stuff like infections, vomit, blood. I have had an AIDS and hepatitis scare after I was pricked by a used needle a few years ago. It was a pretty stressful time.”

The Maritime Union of New Zealand supported the locked out workers around New Zealand. A delegation attended pickets in Auckland and in Invercargill, members of the Maritime Union travelled up from the Bluff waterfront to join the picket lines at the hospital.

Maritime Union Bluff Branch Secretary Ray Fife says the branch donated $500 and joined the locked out workers on a march through central Invercargill.

The dispute with Australian owned Spotless Services follows the 2006 lockout of supermarket workers by Australian owned corporate Progressive Enterprises.

Death of seaman leads to safety overhaul Stevedoring companies have been told to put in place new safety recommendations following the death of a Russian seaman at Port of Tauranga earlier this year.

Nikolay Cheremnykh, 56, was crushed to death after being caught in the cogs of a gantry crane on board the Marshall Islands-flagged Tasman Resolution on 11 January.

The accident occurred about 10.40pm and it was thought the seaman became trapped between the gantry crane and the number five hatch. There were no witnesses.

Two gantry cranes that straddle the hatches are powered by electro-hydraulic systems fitted with flashing lights.

The crane driver’s visibility was restricted within the cab and was reliant on either radio contact or hand signals from a hatchman.

Maritime New Zealand noted there were no documented training records for the operation of the ship’s gantry cranes.

The victim was not in possession of a radio to be able to communicate with the crane driver.

A Maritime New Zealand accident report, which detailed nine recommendations to ensure such an accident doesn’t happen again, was presented to the inquest on 29 June.

Tauranga coroner Michael Cooney was told that since the accident, the Tasman Resolution’s owners have started making improvements and have already issued a safety alert to all their employees.

Mr Cooney said he supported the recommendations and urged Maritime New Zealand to make sure its recommendations were passed on to other stevedoring companies.

www.munz.org.nz

NEWS

Sea-Tow Agreement

by Garry Parsloe National Vice President On 5 June 2007, the Maritime Union of Australia, the Maritime Union of New Zealand and Sea-Tow met in Sydney to finalise an agreement for Sea-Tow to operate in and around the offshore in Western Australia.

This was the third occasion that the parties had met (January 2007 and March 2007) in an effort to come to an agreement around a document to cover this type of work.

The Maritime Union of Australia was represented by Assistant National Secretary Rick Newlyn, Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman and Western Australian Secretary Chris Cain.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand was represented by National Vice President Garry Parsloe.

Sea-Tow director Peter Dunlop represented Sea-Tow. As we did not resolve some of the wording that was to go into the agreement the parties agreed to meet again the next day.

At 8am on 6 June 2007 the parties met again and agreed on all issues.

As the heads of agreement has now been agreed, the parties will now exchange emails to check wording, then sign the document.

A protest march against youth rates heads down Queen Street, Auckland, Saturday 11 August 2007.

The march was followed by a concert with Chook Peas, Nesian Mystik and others.

Youth rates Interport bill makes 2008 it to final reading Green MP Sue Bradford’s bill to pay 17- and 18-year-olds the same as adults got voted through to its final stage in Parliament on 15 August 2007.

The Minimum Wage (Abolition of Age Discrimination) Amendment Bill originally set out to scrap youth rates for younger workers.

Those under 18 are paid 80 percent of the adult minimum wage.

But the Bill has now been amended so that young workers can go onto adult rates after 200 hours or three months work, whichever is the lesser.

Entries for the 2008 Interport Sports Tourney close on 30 September 2007.

The 2008 Interport will be held in Whangarei, from 10–14 February 2008. All members of the Maritime Union are invited to attend the event which is a popular annual get together and friendly competition for union members.

Those attending interport can choose from golf, fishing and indoor sports (darts/pool/ snooker).

The payment of the $150 entry fee is due with the close of entries.

Cheques are payable to Maritime Union of New Zealand Auckland Branch Sporting and Social Fund, PO Box 2645, Shortland Street, Auckland.

Any enquiries can be directed to Auckland Branch Local 13 Secretary Russell Mayn, telephone (09) 3034652, mobile 021760886 and email russell@ munz.org.nz Entry forms can be downloaded from the Maritime Union website at the following address: http://www.munz.org.nz/node/146

www.munz.org.nz

New CTU leaders elected A new leadership of the Council of Trade Unions, including the first woman CTU President, will be formally elected for a four year term at the organisation’s biennial conference in October.

Nominations closed on 6 July 2007 for the four CTU officer positions. Helen Kelly was nominated as President, incumbents Carol Beaumont and Sharon Clair re-nominated in their roles of Secretary and Vice President Maori respectively, and PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff as Vice President. All were unopposed.

“I am delighted that the union movement will have such a strong leadership team to carry our important work into the future on behalf of working New Zealanders,” Ross Wilson said.

“I am particularly proud of the emergence of three exceptional women in these key national leadership roles,” he said.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 7

NEWS

Veterans’ Association up and running

Delegate Mariana Rakuraku and organizer Daphna Whitmore from UNITE accept a MUNZ solidarity donation of $500 to their struggle at Gateway Hotel from the Auckland Seafarers Branch Secretary Garry Parsloe (photo by John O’Neill)

UNITE Gateway Dispute

by Garry Parsloe Auckland Seafarers Secretary National Vice President On 27 August 2007 the Auckland Seafarers Branch Meeting had a report from UNITE organizer Daphna Whitmore on the Gateway Hotel dispute.

Daphna gave a report on the dispute and expanded on the details leading up to placing a picket on the hotel.

Daphna concluded her presentation with a request for support on the picket line and also some financial assistance.

Delegates had questions which Daphna responded to, then the branch presented the picketers with a cheque for $500 to help assist them in their struggle with this out of control employer.

These workers are on course for a well deserved victory.

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Mark Ross

by Garry Parsloe Auckland Seafarers Secretary National Vice President It is with deep sorrow that we record the sad loss of Mark Ross.

Mark, an IR, aged 45, joined the Union as deck boy in September of 1979.

He had not long returned to sea following a two year battle with cancer, and was lost overboard on the seismic survey GeoSounder en route Tauranga to Singapore. An extensive search failed to find him.

Mark was an excellent Seaman, a great shipmate and was held in high regard by all those who sailed with him.

Mark’s father Bob Ross is known to many as a seamen on the New Zealand and Australian coasts, and he is currently retired. To Mark’s parents Bob and Jaymie, to Mark’s wife and three children, the Maritime Union stand with you in the loss of a son, husband, father, comrade and shipmate.

We also extend our sympathy and support to the crew, our comrades, on the GeoSounder at the time of the accident, some of whom witnessed the accident and participated in the extensive search.

Rest in Peace Comrade.

An national association for retired members or “veterans” of the Maritime Union has held its first meeting in Auckland.

27 veterans attended the inaugural meeting of the Maritime Union of New Zealand Veterans’ Association at the Point Chevalier RSA on Sunday 24 June 2007.

The meeting was chaired

by Local 13 President Denis Carlisle.

He said the maritime industry owed a debt of gratitude to past members who had struggled to put in place decent working conditions at sea and on the waterfront in New Zealand.

He told the meeting about the resolution passed at the Maritime Union of New Zealand National Conference which supported the formation of a Veterans’ Association.

The aims of the association were to promote comradeship amongst retired members and provide a platform to enable past members to remain involved in the industry they had worked in.

Mr Carlisle said there were many benefits of establishing the association, as had been seen with the Maritime Union of Australia Veterans’ Association.

There needed to be ongoing recognition from the current membership for retired members.

He said the meeting needed to consider the draft constitution and some machinery resolutions.

It was moved by E. Dunne and seconded Jimmy Neill “that this historic inaugural meeting of intending members of MUNZ Veterans’ Association endorse the establishment of Local 13’s Veterans’ Branch.

Further that this meeting elects officials to establish regular meetings, communication links to members and further MUNZ veterans’ objectives with the MUNZ national executive.”(Carried.)

It was moved by Gary Ryan and seconded by John Warren “that the draft constitution as presented to this inaugural meeting be endorsed as the founding document with any future amendments to be via written remits from members to the next annual general meeting.” (Carried.)

It was moved by Allan Jones and seconded by Bill Cunningham “that given the next few weeks will see an influx of members we call for expressions of interest to hold office positions in one month’s time in a two week window.

If necessary a postal ballot is to be held of registered members.

In the interim the secretarial and other interests of the veterans’ association to be administered by the Secretary of Local 13 and the Port News editor.”

(Carried.)

Local 13 Secretary Russell Mayn says he hopes other branches of the Veterans’ Association will be set up following the establishment of the Auckland branch of the Veterans’ Association.

He says the next meeting of the Auckland branch will be advised to members and will probably be held before the end of the year.

Membership of the Association shall be open to all retired and redundant members of the Maritime Union of New Zealand, their wives, husbands, partners and widows/widowers who are in receipt of a pension.

This includes all retired members of the New Zealand Seafarers’ Union and New Zealand Waterfront Workers’ Union, which joined together in 2002 to form the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

To contact the Veterans’ Association, write to: Maritime Union of New Zealand Veterans’ Association c/o Maritime Union of New Zealand Local 13 PO Box 2645 Auckland

www.munz.org.nz

NEWS

Drug testing case before Employment Court

by Russell Mayn Assistant General Secretary & Secretary, Auckland Local 13 The court case between the Maritime Union of New Zealand and TLNZ over the introduction of a company Drug and Alcohol Policy was heard in the Auckland Employment Court in September.

This as you can well imagine was an extremely complicated affair and was held over five days.

The subject of Drugs and Alcohol and their use in relation to the workplace was fundamental to this case.

The Maritime Union has stated previously that it supports a safe workplace and this involves many issues of which Drugs and Alcohol management is only one, which should not be considered in isolation.

The outcome of this case will be decided by the judicial system but what I believe has become very apparent through this case is how little everyone involved at the workplace really understands this broad subject.

From the Union point of view we have learnt an enormous amount and will have to keep approaching this issue with an open mind from a position of listening to expert advice to develop policies that fit the needs of our industry.

There is no simple answer, as we cannot just concentrate on testing.

There has to be a broad approach taken involving all stakeholders to achieve the outcome that everyone wants from this process.

Obviously we do not agree with the policy in question or we would not be involved in challenging the company.

It is extremely important to have a fair and reasonable policy which achieves what it sets out to do.

To leave employers unchallenged to enforce policies we disagree with would be wrong, I still firmly believe that these policies have to be agreed between the parties to be successful.

Seeking justice at this high level comes at a huge financial cost, but this should never dominate or restrict our quest for justice.

In the next issue of Maritimes I will give a more detailed report of the case and its outcome.

1908 Blackball strike centenary 2008 sees the centenary of the 1908 Blackball “crib-time” strike, an event that led to the formation of the first national unions and the first Trade Union Federation.

This was one of the triggers for the formation of a national Labour Movement and the complex birth of the Labour Party. Mahi Tupuna (the work of our ancestors) – Blackball Museum of Working Class History Trust will commemorate the event in Blackball, on the West Coast, during Easter 2008 (March 21-24), with a series of events which will attract a national gathering.

Some of the events include: A dinner at the Blackball Working Men’s Club (Friday night, March 21) with poems from Jeffrey Paparoa Holman, after dinner speeches, songs, and launching of book, this event aimed at old timers.

Market plus a parade through Blackball with floats from unions and schools, to be followed by a family afternoon– which will include some choir items – Saturday 10.30am onwards (parade at 12 noon).

A community theatre production, Rain, Love and Coalsmoke to play Thursday and Saturday night at the Regent Theatre in Greymouth.

On the Saturday night the play will be preceded by a buffet meal and a concert with union choirs.

On Sunday, a seminar on the theme of Labourism 1908 – 1935 and Labourism now.

Speakers include Eric Beardsley, Peter Clayworth, Mark Derby, Laila Harre, Melanie Nolan and Len Richardson. (A history tour of Blackball will also be available.)

For those wishing to attend the celebrations, further information and a registration form can be found on the museum’s website www.blackballmuseum.org.nz Mahi Tupuna (the work of our ancestors) – Blackball Museum of Working Class History Trust PO Box 2, 47 Clifford Street, Blackball 7804 Phone (03) 732 4010 Fax: (03) 7324015 e-mail wkcultur@ihug.co.nz

Apology The Maritimes (December 2006) printed a report in error of the death of Keith Bedford of Napier.

This was a mistake. Mr Bedford is alive, and currently overseas, according to his family who contacted the Union.

www.munz.org.nz

This information was reported from the proceedings of the 2006 National Conference of the Maritime Union.

The Maritime Union, and the Maritimes Magazine, apologizes for this error and the concern it created.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 9

NEWS

Roger Awards Nominations have opened for the Roger Award for the worst transnational corporation operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2007, says organizer Murray Horton.

The Roger Award is organised by the Christchurch-based groups, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) and GATT Watchdog.

The “Roger” was won by Progressive Enterprises in 2006. Previous winners are: Westpac/BNZ, Telecom, Juken Nissho, Carter Holt Harvey, TransAlta Monsanto and TranzRail (3 times).

Nominations close on 31 October 2007.

The judges for 2007 are: Laila Harre, from Auckland, National Secretary of the National Distribution Union and former Cabinet Minister; Anton Oliver, from Otago, All Black and environmentalist; Geoff Bertram, from Wellington, a Victoria University economist; Brian Turner, from Christchurch, President-Elect of the Methodist Church and social justice activist; Paul Corliss, from Christchurch, a life member of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union; and Cee Payne-Harker, from Dunedin, Industrial Services Manager for the NZ Nurses’ Organisation and health issues activist.

The winner(s) will be announced in early 2008 at an event in Christchurch.

May the worst man win!

Increase in child tax rebate

Death of a worker

Do you have a child of school age who is working?

An increase in the child rebate from 1 April 2006 now allows primary or secondary schoolchildren to earn up to $2,340 a year ($45 a week) before PAYE or withholding tax needs to be deducted.

If you employ primary or secondary schoolchildren, and they earn (or are expected to earn) $2,340 or more a year from all employers, you will need to deduct PAYE or withholding tax from the payments you make to them.

It is easy sometimes in being a member of a strong Union to forget just how vulnerable some workers are in their work.

The tragic workplace death of South Auckland concrete worker Esera Visesio epitomizes many of the threats to workers safety that our Union in particular fights hard to prevent.

Mr Visesio died instantly whilst working beneath a gantry crane that failed and as a result dropped its lifting beam on him.

The workers’ at the site were aware that the crane was faulty and had repeatedly asked the Manager to take the crane out of action, so that it could be safely repaired.

The crane’s cable guide was faulty and so the load safety limits could not be activated.

Pleas to management “fell on deaf ears” and under threat of dismissal and out of pure economic necessity they carried on operating the crane as instructed.

The company appeared at least from outward appearances to operate a safe workplace.

They had safety systems in place, a worker safety committee that met regularly, and workers who were experienced and trained in their jobs.

But when profit and greed met worker safety and vulnerability – profit was the king and safety was second.

Weekly earnings of less than $45 Schoolchildren who earn less than $45 a week, or who expect to earn less than $2,340 a year from all employers do not have to complete a Tax code declaration (IR330).

You don’t need to deduct PAYE or withholding tax from payments you make to them or include them on your Employer monthly schedule (IR348).

However, you still have to keep wage records for them.

Weekly earnings of more than $45 Schoolchildren who earn more than $45 a week, or expect to earn more than $2,340 a year from all employers need to complete a Tax code declaration (IR330). You need to deduct PAYE or withholding tax from the payments you make to them and keep wage records.

by Peter Harvey Tauranga Seafarer

Mr Visesio is just one of approximately 367 workers to have lost their lives through work during the last six years and since the safety representative scheme was set up by the 2002 amendments to the Health and Safety in Employment Act. Standing behind the workplace fatality rate are of course the hundreds of serious injuries suffered by workers each year and the “sleeping giant” that is occupational disease related death.

Words such as carnage and epidemic spring to mind in describing this problem and don’t seem like an exaggeration.

It is clear that the workers in this particular plant were unable to protect themselves at all from what ended up being the death by manslaughter of a worker.

The words of the relevant safety legislation were absolutely empty and ineffective in protecting these workers (in the first instance) from the serious hazards they faced.

Most worker fatalities and injuries can be traced back to a failure by management in some way to properly protect their workers from harm.

Unless workers are able to freely organize and combine themselves in unions that will support them in confronting genuine safety issues, then the carnage of worker death in New Zealand will continue.

Children are entitled to a rebate of $351 if their income is over $2,340 and they have had PAYE or withholding tax deductions made.

If they use the M tax code on their IR330 you can reduce the PAYE you deduct by $6.75 each week. School children under the age of 18 should not use the ML tax code.

The Roger nomination form (in Word and PDF formats) can be downloaded online from www.cafca.org.nz (follow the Roger Award links from the Views, Analyses and Research page).

10 | The Maritimes | October 2007

www.munz.org.nz

PROFILE

Seafarers’ Union scholarships The Seafarers’ Union scholarships for 2008 have been launched.

Four scholarships are available to provide assistance for study at an undergraduate level.

Two scholarships are for study at an Institute of Technology and are valued at $3000.

Two scholarships are for study at a university and are valued at $3000.

Applications for the scholarships opened on 1 September and close on 30 November 2007.

There are a number of conditions which applicants must fill to be eligible.

These details of eligibility are included with the application forms which are available from the Maritime Union website, all Maritime Union Branch Offices or by contacting the Trustees at the National Office of the Union.

Trustees Seafarers’ Union Scholarship PO Box 27004 Wellington Online: www.munz.org.nz

Witness to our times The films of Alister Barry

by Victor Billot The movies of Alister Barry should be in every union branch and unionists’ home.

They tell the story of our recent political history from the perspective of working people.

The takeover of New Zealand by an anti-democratic ideology, the use of unemployment as a political and economic tool, and the attack on the New Zealand education system by capitalists and bureaucrats – these are the big topics that film-maker Alister Barry has taken on in his documentary movies.

The Wellington-based documentary maker has just released “A Civilized Society”, the third part of a trilogy of movies entitled “The New Right is Wrong.”

(For younger members, the “New Right” refers to a political movement that promotes the interests of the wealthy and powerful, and is against trade unions.)

The first movie “Someone Else’s Country” (1996) dealt with the hijacking of the New Zealand political system during the Fourth Labour Government by a closeknit group of right wing politicians and their allies in the top levels of the Government bureaucracy and big business.

www.munz.org.nz

The second film was “In a land of plenty” (2001), which showed how mass unemployment had become a policy tool to keep the working class under control.

Barry has strong connections with trade unions. In 1981 he co-produced a video documentary for the centennial of the New Zealand Seaman’s Union and he counts seafarers amongst his friends.

He says his first venture into film-making was in 1975.

As a young man he sailed on a protest vessel to Mururoa atoll to join the protests against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. He captured footage on 16mm black and white film and edited the film in his bedroom. He was amazed by the response.

“I showed it to TVNZ and they bought it, and screened it at 7.30pm on a Friday night.”

Barry says he realized that film was an avenue for political expression.

“It was a determining event in my life . . . since then, when I haven’t been busy making a living, I’ve always had a documentary project on the go.”

The first ten years he made a number of anti-nuclear and trade union films with Russell Campbell and Rod Prosser at Vanguard Films.

1996 saw another major step with the release of “Someone Else’s Country.”

He says it was a decisive moment. “The film was screened at film festivals and we got full houses, and sold thousands of VHS copies. It seemed like we had touched a nerve.”

Barry says the reason he has concentrated on the late 1980s and early 1990s period is that the ‘Rogernomics Revolution’ was the most profound period in New Zealand political history since the First Labour Government.

“It needs to examined and re-examined again – it’s been very important.”

Barry thinks that a renewed push for New Right policies could come if National is reelected.

“With the ACT Party people who backed Don Brash’s leadership challenge, their second choice for a leader was John Key . . . they have good political networks and can manipulate the political levers.”

He says the biggest challenge facing New Zealand today is low wages.

“The reason we have low wages is a consequence of the New Right reforms. One of the main objectives of Government before that was a living wage and we have to find our way back to that. It’s central to the state of our nation.”

“Someone Else’s Country”, “In a Land of Plenty” and “A Civilized Society” are individually available on DVD for $30 each for individuals, $50 for schools and $110 for institutions.

Post order to Community Media Trust, PO Box 3563, Wellington Fax 04 4725259 Email communitymedia@paradise.net.nz A special DVD set of all three movies entitled “The New Right is Wrong” is also available for $70.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 11

ITF • lobbying the International Labour Organization and other international bodies to work towards the elimination of the FOC system and establishment of a regulatory framework for the shipping industry • strengthening affiliated unions to secure solidarity for the campaign.

Some facts and figures about FOCs Over 22 per cent of the world’s vessels sail under FOCs. Around 50 per cent of passenger vessels worldwide sail under FOCs.

What’s wrong with FOC registries?

Flag of Convenience Shipping What is a flag of convenience ship?

A ship flies a flag of convenience (FOC) when it is registered in a country that is not the country of its owner.

Why do shipowners register ships in FOC states?

Shipowners usually register ships in FOC states because they have cheap registration fees and low taxes or no taxes at all. These states also allow shipowners to employ cheap labour, cutting costs by lowering standards of living and working conditions for crewmembers.

FOC registries also enable shipowners to employ a nonunionised workforce.

Globalisation has helped to fuel this rush to the bottom.

In an increasingly fierce competitive shipping market, each new FOC promotes itself by offering the lowest possible fees and the minimum of regulation.

12 | The Maritimes | October 2007

Similarly, shipowners are forced to look for the cheapest and least regulated ways of running their vessels to remain competitive – and FOCs provide the solution.

How does the ITF decide when to declare a registry a flag of convenience?

When the ITF declares a registry an FOC, it looks at the number of foreign-owned vessels that are registered to the state as well as at: • the ability and willingness of the flag state to enforce international minimum social standards on its vessels – this includes respect for human and trade union rights • the flag state’s social record – focusing, for example, on the extent to which it has ratified and enforced International Labour Organization conventions and recommendations

• the state’s safety and environmental record – this takes into account factors such as whether or not it has ratified and enforced International Maritime Organization conventions.

What is the ITF doing to challenge FOCs? The ITF has been campaigning for more than half a century against FOCs by: • establishing a network of inspectors to investigate suspect ships and win back pay for seafarers • negotiating with the owners of FOC vessels to ensure that seafarers are protected by minimum standards, outlined in ITF collective bargaining agreements • helping to win seafarers compensation if they have suffered an injury as a result of an accident on board

The ITF believes that there should be a genuine link between the owner of a vessel and the flag the vessel flies, as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In the case of FOC registries, this “genuine link” does not exist.

How do FOCs affect seafarers?

Seafarers who are employed on FOC ships are often denied their basic human and trade union rights. This is because FOC registers do not enforce minimum social standards. The crew’s home countries can do little to protect them because the rules that apply on board are often those of the country of registration. Most FOC seafarers are not members of a trade union, or if they are, the union frequently has no influence over what happens on board.

Why are FOCs a security risk?

In the raised security environment there are concerns that terrorist organisations can own and operate ships under the FOC system with impunity. Arms smuggling, the ability to conceal large sums of money, trafficking in goods and people, and other illegal activities can also thrive in the unregulated havens that the FOC system provides.

This is because, as corporate investigators have found, the FOC system makes it easy for a shipowner to remain anonymous.

www.munz.org.nz

ITF

Koshin Maru Ariake self loading officers fail incident to intimidate

Seafarers on FOC ships frequently suffer as a result of: • very low wages or no pay at all – crew on FOC ships are frequently owed large sums of money without which they cannot even make their own way home • poor on-board conditions • inadequate food and clean drinking water • long periods of work without proper rest • unsafe vessels – many FOC vessels are substandard because they fail to adhere to scheduled maintenance programmes, which a national flag state would impose

• higher casualty rates – poor safety practices lead to frequent accidents • being blacklisted if they make a complaint – this means they may not be able to find alternative employment; some seafarers have even been imprisoned on their return home.

For more information on FOC vessels, see http://www.itfglobal.org/flags-convenience/ index.cfm

www.munz.org.nz

The Maritime Union of New Zealand and the International Transport Workers Federation have written to the Government over a substantial breach of labour regulations and foreign work permits that has occurred in the Port of Nelson.

ITF Inspector and Maritime Union Nelson Branch President Bill Lewis visited the fishing vessel F/V KoshinMaru No. 1 at the Port of Nelson in the late afternoon of Friday 27 July 2007, following reports that overseas crew members were discharging fish from the vessel.

Mr Lewis visited the vessel and witnessed four Indonesian crew working on the wharf alone helping to discharge fish.

He visited the ship and spoke to the captain, and also the coolstore supervisor and Talley’s manager.

Shore labour was used following this intervention by the Union.

Mr Lewis reports that the vessel was at lay up berth No. 1 which is not normally used for fish discharge. When vessels load or discharge fish at a public wharf stevedoring companies supply labour and when a private fishing company berth then that company uses its own labour.

Mr Lewis noted that local workers were being denied work they normally carried out.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand and the ITF have been in touch with the authorities over the incident, seeking assurances that this practice will be clamped down on. A satisfactory result has yet to be achieved and the Union will be following up.

The ITF is alerting its affiliates to the Ariake following an incident involving officers on the ship.

On 1 July, a senior official of the Maritime Union of New Zealand representing the ITF went aboard the Ariake to ask the Master to pass on a message to the German owners.

This message urged the company to enter talks with the German ITF affiliate to have the vessel covered by an ITF agreement.

The ITF rep was met at the top of the gangway by the Chief Mate who ordered him off the ship and was extremely abusive.

The Chief launched into a tirade of abuse which was overheard by another officer who alerted the Captain, who wisely diffused the situation by inviting our rep to his cabin.

“This was a simple matter which should have been treated cordially, with respect and without fuss,” says ITF coordinator Kathy Whelan.

“Such level of abuse and lack of respect is totally unacceptable and has caused grave concern within the Union and ITF and cannot be tolerated.”

The incident follows a report received by the ITF in May 2007 of harassment of Filipino crew members by Russian officers.

Ms Whelan says that given the approach of the Russian Chief Mate against ITF representatives there are concerns about the crew’s wellbeing.

An apology was received from charterers and operators Maersk for the incident.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 13

ITF

We want your stuff.

The Maritimes needs your photos, letters, reports, news, views and opinions.

It’s your magazine!

If there is something you’d like to see in the Maritimes, send it to PO Box 27004, Wellington, New Zealand or email the editor at victor.billot@munz.org.nz

14 | The Maritimes | October 2007

Seafarers’ Missions

by Kathy Whelan Seafarers’ Missions play a vital part in the International Maritime Community. Most seafarers have visited a mission somewhere/some time.

After 3 years as Chairperson, I was elected Honorary Secretary of the New Zealand Welfare Board earlier this year.

I first became involved in the Welfare Board and its work when I took up the position as ITF Coordinator as the ITF Trust gives financial support to Centres/Missions around the world and I am proud to say that it has supported the New Zealand Centres in many and various ways.

But the involvement was a natural one as the two are inextricably linked – both caring for the welfare of seafarers.

The NZ Seafarers’ Welfare Board is the coordinating body of the three Christian societies and associated agencies and groups that have an interest in seafarers’ welfare.

There are Centres in 12 New Zealand ports offering various services and facilities to seafarers, especially foreign seafarers coming to our ports. With quick turn arounds of vessels and strict security codes in our ports, seafarers do not have the time or ability to go ashore and the Centres play a crucial role in the daily lives of seafarers.

The Centres are manned predominantly by volunteers – usually older people who have little if any past association with the sea or its men and women, but give up their time freely – to open the centres so the crews can get some respite from their vessels, make contact with family and friends whom they may not have seen for many, many months through the telephone and internet services provided by each centre.

Some Centres struggle to finance their daily operations, all are worthy of support.

I am very proud to be associated with the Seafarers’ Welfare Board and volunteer a little of my time and services.

Information on the Seafarers’ Welfare Board of New Zealand and the location and contact points of all of its centres throughout New Zealand are available on its website www.swb.co.nz

www.munz.org.nz

ITF

ITF agreement success on Cape Reinga HMS Whimbrel

by Bill McDonald RMT/ITF Inspector, Liverpool There is an on going campaign to bring the HMS Whimbrel from Egypt were she is laid up, to the Port of Liverpool as a fitting memorial in regards to the Battle for the Atlantic.

This vessel played such a vital role during World War Two in defeating the blockade of the Western Approaches and the Battle for the Atlantic.

She was a member of Captain Walker’s U Boat Hunters based at Liverpool.

This gallant little vessel also undertook escort duties with numerous convoys. She was present at the D-Day landings, and she was also present as a guard vessel at the Japanese surrender at Tokyo Bay in September 1945.

The Battle for the Atlantic was the longest campaign of the Second World War, it resulted in the loss of 2,476 ships and claimed the lives of 35,000 merchant seafarers.

It was also reported at the end of hostilities that the German U-Boat command had also lost 29,000 submariners.

As a memorial to all parties and to ensure that the world does not forget and history does not repeat itself, there are moves to bring HMS Whimbrel and the U534 together on the Liverpool waterfront as a fitting memorial for all.

Visit the HMS Whimbrel website at www. hmswhimbrel.org

by Kathy Whelan The Australian ITF Inspectorate has the vessel Cape Reinga (IMO 9226504) under target.

The Cape Reinga is German owned and chartered by Hamburg Sud, and it is trading extensively on both the Australian and New Zealand coasts without an ITF agreement.

The vessel arrived in Tauranga on Sunday 26 August and a protest letter was delivered and an inspection carried out, coordinated by ITF activist Richard Rankin.

The vessel has a crew of 23 including 6 Croatians and 17 Chinese.

The Master, whilst initially arrogant, accepted the letter and assured our delegation that the owner, operators, ship’s managers and charterers are aware that the vessel is the subject of ITF attention.

He couldn’t help himself by adding a snide remark, you can do what you like but you will never man this vessel.

The Master advised Richard that there will be two further ships entering the trade. All three ships have been chartered with the existing manning arrangements in place but when the contractual arrangements have ended (prior to Christmas) the Chinese crews on each ship will be replaced by Filipinos and ITF agreements will be put into place on each vessel.

We do not know the names of the other two vessels and the master would not tell Richard but that information is easy to obtain.

www.munz.org.nz

Chinese seafarers are the latest form of expendable human commodity for employers, they are okay to employ on cheap rate but expendable when bona fide rates and conditions such as ITF agreements are put in place.

There are several questions to put before charterers Hamburg Sud but ITF Coordinator for Australia Dean Summers is heading this and will take on that responsibility.

During the inspection Richard when accompanying the MAF Officer on the galley and stores inspection was alarmed at the quantity and quality of food. The meat and veges were in the same cooler and were suspect – certainly not fresh and given the vessel was going deep sea to Cartagena in Columbia, Richard was concerned that the quantity would be insufficient for the duration of the voyage (there was lots of rice which was small consolation.) There was also a second cooler that was locked which he suspected was the food for the Croatians.

The ITF Inspector in Cartagena will have a look at the stores on arrival and before the vessel is re-provisioned.

Thanks yet again to Richard Rankin for responding in the trade union way he always does.

You will recall that the master of this ship specifically rejected any claim the ITF may have on the ship and refused to give us any information.

It was only through a coordinated and targeted campaign between Australia, New Zealand and Germany which forced this FOC company to respect workers’ rights and human rights and to accept their corporate social responsibility.

Can you please thank activist Richard Rankin and the MUNZ members in Tauranga for their strong position which establishes a key link in our global networks committed to protecting workers’ rights on the substandard FOC system.

Update

Best regards Ali Memon ITF Coordinator Germany

The Maritimes received the following letters from international ITF officers through Kathy Whelan just before going to print.

Yours in Unity Dean Summers ITF National Coordinator

Due to the mutual coordinated action against Lib.Cape Reinga the company agreed to sign the ITF/verdi agreement effective from 16 September 2007.

Because of hard work of MUA, MUNZ, Australian and New Zealand dockers especially the activist Richard Rankin and also MUNZ dockers at Tauranga, our union and the ITF Germany want to thank you all for the great job done down under.

United we stay stronger.

Comrade , I have received confirmation by our ITF affiliate in Germany that Columbia Ship Management has now agreed to sign an ITF uniform agreement to protect the rights and conditions for all maritime workers employed on the FOC Cape Reinga.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 15

VIEWPOINT

Still proud to be a docker

by Frank Leys ITF Dockers’ Secretary Eighty per cent of consumer goods are transported by sea, and must at some stage be loaded and unloaded from a ship.

This means that at least 80 per cent of consumer goods are handled at least twice by those workers we call dockers, stevedores, longshoremen, wharfies or whichever term is used.

Let me call them dockers here, first of all since that is what I was called when I worked in the port of Antwerp, secondly, since when the European Commission wanted to introduce self-handling of goods by seafarers, the slogan “proud to be a docker” reflected the unity of those who earn a living by handling cargo.

When you look at the contribution of dockers to the world economy, one would expect that these professionals would be enjoying excellent conditions worldwide.

But look at the facts, and it is clear we still have a long way to go. Even in the ports where acceptable standards are in place, these conditions are being challenged.

16 | The Maritimes | October 2007

Global companies

Casualisation

The term Global Network Terminals (GNT) must sound familiar to everyone’s ears by now, especially taking into account last years’ commotion surrounding the takeover of P&O by DP World.

More than half the world’s container terminal capacity is managed by a small group of companies, some of which are state run organisations. These GNTs are responsible for more than 50 per cent of the world’s container throughput, and they are setting the standards of the industry.

The same operator in one part of the world, that respects workers’ rights and maintains a social dialogue, might be acting as a union buster in another.

Where in one port the company will employ the existing registered dockers, in other ports it will sack the existing workforce, specifically those who stand up for their rights, and employ non-unionised and casual labour.

In some cases the company will even set up a “trade union-like” institution to suggest to the outside world that the company is worker-friendly.

The reality is that some of the world’s biggest container terminals do not even employ their dockers. They leave that to agencies that will hire workers on a contractual basis and deny them job and income security. When the terminal operator is challenged to assume responsibility on labourrelated issues it simply waives its responsibility, stating that it is not a party to the labour contract and has nothing to do with the employee. “Go and see the contractor”, is its answer.

We remain convinced however, that dockers around the world should enjoy the freedom to join a democratic trade union, which represents them in negotiations with the employer over labour-related issues.

ILO Dock Work Convention 137 provides that dockers should be registered and should enjoy permanent or regular employment that assures them an income. This convention was agreed in 1973.

The reality in the 21st century is that dockers in many ports are hired and fired at will.

While dockers’ work in some of the major ports is still regulated, these rules are seen by some neo-liberal decision makers as unacceptable restrictions on the market and no longer practicable in modern ports.

International institutions such as the World Bank, IMF and WTO, and regional institutions such as the European Union are key driving forces behind liberalisation and deregulation. They reason that the invisible hand of the market will create benefits for all. Transport has to be cheap and efficient.

Employing casual workers in the ports seems to be the preferred way to cut costs further: dockers who are on call and who you only pay a lump sum per shift – no overtime, no social benefits, no social protection. This is the magic answer to the demands of capital.

It goes without saying that casual workers who have not received adequate training, are a risk to the safety of their fellow workers and themselves.

Work accidents hurt not only the victims, but are also bad for productivity.

On the subject of productivity, well-trained, well-remunerated labour is undoubtedly more productive.

Many terminal operators now regularly use contractors and casual labour.

The Maritime Department of Hong Kong (until recently the world’s largest container port), has since February 2005 issued six notices in relation to the safety requirements that must be observed during container operations, and we are convinced that this list will get longer.

Additionally there is the issue of security in ports. Everyone is entitled to work in a safe and secure environment.

A secure port environment does not go together with a casual, non-registered workforce. Who knows the wharves, warehouses and sheds better than those dockers who work there on a regular basis?

They can and should play an important role in the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. Their representatives are or should be members of the Port Security Advisory Committee. They are the eyes and ears of the Port (Facility) Security officer.

Ports in the supply chain Worldwide we are confronted with an offensive against trade union rights and the effective unionisation of dockers. Goods are increasingly produced, packaged and sold across national borders and the economy is largely dependent on a global supply chain without disruption. The repercussions of blockages in the flow of goods were demonstrated by the US West Coast ports dispute of 2002, and are now common knowledge.

Another example of the vulnerability of this “just in time” manufacturing process was revealed when a car plant had to go on part-time working because the vessel that carried the containers with the spare parts it needed to continue working, had run aground.

www.munz.org.nz

VIEWPOINT This demonstrates an obvious but key point – that all the links in the supply chain are crucial to the end result.

One of the most important links in the chain is the port and its workers. Historically, dockers have been militant and well organised. They do not just take “no” for an answer.

Might this be the reason why they are seen as a major risk factor in disrupting the flow of goods?

Those shippers of goods, often large conglomerates, do not like risks. So in order to minimise the risk of disruption and maximise the profits, they want to remove this perceived obstacle of organised dockers.

There will always be a need for people who handle cargo – a need recognised even when the European Commission believed that this could be done as well by those who transport the goods, the seafarers.

Workers who enjoy little or no protection are more vulnerable and less likely to revolt.

Break the union and their member is the goal. Bring in the casual workers, and if they do not suit the purpose there will be more available where they came from.

Of course this is not the case everywhere. Some enlightened employers rightly speak of “human capital” – a happy worker is an indispensable part of the company.

Competition The port industry is already very competitive. Shippers of large quantities of goods can set the rules.

Competition can only be beneficial when it promotes efficiency in a safe working environment, and the benefits of that efficiency are distributed among all the workers.

Competition at all costs, by contrast, jeopardises the health and safety of workers and promotes a downward spiral for wages and labour conditions.

You can only stretch a wire so far before it breaks.

At the ITF we want to emphasise once more that those who earn a living from working in the port should be able to do this in a workplace where at least the conditions as described in the core labour standards, covered in the eight fundamental ILO conventions, are respected.

Dockers should enjoy decent working hours, earn fair wages, benefit from occupational health and safety regulations, work in a secure environment, and work to high professional standards.

We will not accept ports of convenience – in other words, substandard ports – in the 21st century. There is no need for them.

Ports and terminals around the world must ensure acceptable standards are in place and that workers are free from exploitation.

Frank Leys is ITF dockers’ secretary, based in London.

www.munz.org.nz

“Dockers should enjoy decent working hours, earn fair wages, benefit from occupational health and safety regulations, work in a secure environment, and work to high professional standards”

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 17

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CTU Health and Safety Organizer Rosaleen Loughman with H&S rep Gary Innes

Health and Safety Update

by Rosaleen Loughman CTU Health and Safety Organizer I recently started as the Health and Safety Organiser with the NZCTU - and what a start it has been!

Between the launch of the Stage 3 training for elected Health and Safety Representatives and the Learning Reps graduation at Wellington, trainers days and conferences, I have met more union delegates, health and safety reps, MPs and government officials than I would have expected to meet in a lifetime!

I’ve had a good induction period and I am quickly learning that health and safety is at the heart of all of the CTU’s activities.

Workplace Practices It has been great to meet with delegates and health and safety reps and to hear the feedback about the difference that they can make in their workplaces through the promotion of good health and safety practices.

I’m particularly impressed with the role which the training received has played, whether it be actively participating in health and safety management on the ground, through influencing work practices of work colleagues, or dealing with managers to improve practices around the culture of health and safety.

Stage 3 Launch On 8 August I attended the Stage 3 launch of the Health and Safety Rep training, which has been developed in partnership with the CTU, ACC and Business NZ. 18 | The Maritimes | October 2007

The presence of Jan White, Ruth Dyson, Kerry Prendergast, and many MPs from across the political spectrum at the launch, reflects the esteem in which the training is held.

But more than this, it signals that workplace health and safety is on the political agenda. A significant component of the training uses a case study to assist the learners collate and document facts about the costs and benefits associated with making a health and safety improvement on the job.

A presentation is then put together along with a recommendation focusing on how the improvement will impact on productivity.

Stage 3 is the next step in the consolidation of skills and knowledge of health and safety representatives. So far the NZCTU has trained over 17,000 reps at Stage One, over 6,000 reps at Stage Two, and 1,000 at Stage Three.

Learning Reps Graduation On 23 August, the first group of Learning Reps graduated at a ceremony at the CTU offices in Wellington.

The learning representatives project is a CTU initiative, which is funded through the Tertiary Education Commission as part of the tripartite Skill NZ programme.

The Learning Rep is a workers’ advocate, involved in promoting the learning aspirations of workers – career progression, job enhancement, reward for skill, and employability.

“The Learning Rep is a workers’ advocate, involved in promoting the learning aspirations of workers – career progression, job enhancement, reward for skill, and employability”

Reps help workers to get the training they need and to advise them about learning opportunities.

It is also about gaining the skills they need to be active participants in their workplace, industry and the wider society.

The project is also about building sustainable and productive industries in New Zealand.

Workplace Productivity Education Programme The Learning Reps and the Health and Safety rep training both support the Workplace Productivity Education Programme to look at how we can work ‘smarter’ rather than work harder, through the development of a skilled workforce and looking at safe systems of work, as part of the seven drivers of productivity. So far in my short time as the Health and Safety Organiser with the CTU, I am encouraged to see how the CTU’s many projects, training courses and work supports each other.

For more information about: Health and Safety http://worksafereps.org.nz/ Contact Monica O’Connell at monicao@nzctu.org.nz Learning Reps http://www.learningreps.org.nz/ Contact George Laird at georgel@nzctu.org.nz Workplace Productivity Education Programme http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity.html Contact Sandy O’Neil at sandyo@nzctu.org.nz www.munz.org.nz

CTU LEARNIING REPS

CTU Update

by Ross Wilson New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President With the labour market this tight, wages are still stubbornly low.

If we are to make any headway in closing the 30% wage gap with Australia we need to see a number of things happen, including much more widespread collective bargaining on an industry basis, alongside continued efforts in skill development, lifting productivity and improving the quality of work - including security of hours.

Improving the wages and working conditions of many groups of low paid workers has been a major focus for the CTU in recent months.

We have worked with our affiliates in the health sector who campaigned hard to improve the conditions of workers in aged care and hospitals.

The recent budget boost, coupled with a DHB contractual requirement for aged care employers to work collectively, is a vital part of improving pay, conditions, and building better standards for these workers.

It was a direct result of union organising and campaigning.

And hospital service workers have also had a major victory recently, with a major nationwide lift in pay and conditions for over 3,000 cleaners, orderlies and kitchen workers.

This was despite a protracted lockout of 800 Service and Food Workers Union members working for Spotless Services, who tried to bully their way out of the national pay agreement.

These hospital workers stood strong collectively in their union and wouldn’t let the company starve them back to work.

Their success depended on the support they received from other workers, unions and their communities, and MUNZ played its part too, as it did last year when the supermarket supply chain workers were locked out.

And union campaigning against age based discrimination in minimum wages for 16 and 17 year olds saw a number of parties support a modified proposal to end youth rates.

This is a huge step forward for thousands of young workers who when this change is implemented will receive a big increase in pay and a recognition that the work they are doing is being properly paid.

In the wider policy area, the two key issues of retirement savings and home ownership have been main focuses also.

House prices are still outstripping wages by 4 to 1, and the CTU suggested a number of measures to tackle this when we presented our views to a parliamentary enquiry on home affordability recently, including a capital gains tax on investment housing (not the family home).

Unions have also campaigned for years to improve second-tier superannuation and this year’s enhancements to KiwiSaver will mean a huge boost for the income levels of workers and their families in retirement. There are certainly problems for people on low wages, and again, the solution to this lies in more widespread collective bargaining to improve the wages of our lowest paid workers.

www.munz.org.nz

Learning Reps

by Sam Huggard Learning Reps who completed the first stage of their training were honoured at a graduation ceremony at the Council of Trade Unions last week.

The Learning Rep is a new representative role, elected by the workers in an enterprise to play a leadership role in encouraging workplace learning.

It is an initiative of the Council of Trade Unions, funded through the Tertiary Education Commission as part of the tripartite Skill NZ programme involving the TEC, the NZCTU, Business NZ and the Industry Training Federation.

Last week’s event was the first graduation in the Learning Reps project, and included members of the Maritime Union, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union and the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota.

Robyn Campbell found out about the project through information from her union and was immediately interested.

“The thing I’m interested in is literacy,” she told The Unionist at the graduation last week. “In our workforce, lots of people don’t have the ability to read and write as well as they could.”

She found the programme useful. “The training was cool, because we could throw ideas at each other, and it was much better than doing it alone.

When I hit a blank on my assignment I rang up another Rep and got some feedback.”

Russell Baines is Area Manager for Idea Services in Wellington and the Hutt Valley, and he was at the launch also, and also discussed the importance of literacy.

“Our organisation made a commitment to working with the Learning Reps project, reflected in the current Collective Employment Agreement,” he said.

“Ours is a workforce where even literacy can be a struggle for some. It was a good feeling, knowing that the impetus was coming from both bottom up from the workforce and from management alike. It was great to see the number of Idea Services workers in the first cohort, and I’m looking forward to Stage 2.”

Many Learning Reps are also Health and Safety reps, and in time, any credits workers attain through the Learning Reps programme will be able to be built into an overall qualification on the skills of being a worker representative.

There is more information about new developments in the Learning Reps project in their July newsletter, accessible here http://www.learningreps.org.nz/index. asp?PageID=2145844904

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 19

INTERNATIONAL

“The New Zealand waterfront has become embroiled in an international dispute involving war profiteering, African phosphate and Norwegian ships”

Phosphate ships targeted in international campaign The New Zealand waterfront has become embroiled in an international dispute involving war profiteering, African phosphate and Norwegian ships.

The Norwegian owned but UK-based company Gearbulk exports phosphates from Western Sahara. Their bulk transport vessels regularly call in New Zealand ports including Bluff and Mount Maunganui.

The president of the Association of Sahrawis in Norway, Sidahmed Salem, says “Gearbulk must stop the plundering of our country immediately.”

“Every single day, our friends and members of our families are subjected to serious human rights violations from the Moroccan forces in Western Sahara. Gearbulk’s management and owners must try to understand what this conflict is all about, and realise that they are partly responsible for the human rights violations in occupied Western Sahara”, says Salem.

The political situation in Western Sahara has parallels with the invasion and occupation of East Timor by Indonesia between 1975 and 1999.

According to the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara, three quarters of the territory of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco since 1975.

“A majority of the population is still living in refugee camps in Algeria. Those who remained in their homeland are subjected to serious harassment from the Moroccan occupiers. For more than 40 years the Sahrawis have been waiting for the fullfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.”

The profitable phosphate industry in Western Sahara is controlled by a Moroccan governmental phosphate company, OCP. The phosphate deposits in the country were one of the reasons that Western Sahara was occupied in 1975, and still gives Morocco huge revenue.

The exploitation is in violation of international law, and contributes to finance the costly occupation.

The story on the Gearbulk shipment to New Zealand was covered by the major Norwegian broadcaster in September 2007.

The shipping company Gearbulk is 60% owned by the Norwegian Jebsen family.

The company has its main office in London, and is registered in Bermuda.

The last time Gearbulk sent a vessel to New Zealand was June 2007. At the time, parliamentarians from four countries protested the trade in a letter to Gearbulk and Jebsen.

For more information about the Gearbulk shipment, please see www.vest-sahara.no An English translation of the Norwegian TV clip on Gearbulk working in New Zealand ports is online at http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMholJ4G9MI

20 | The Maritimes | October 2007

www.munz.org.nz

PORT ROUNDUPS

Auckland Seafarers Spotless dispute in Auckland

by Garry Parsloe, Auckland Seafarers’ Secretary National Vice President

Auckland Seafarers President John O’Neill, Auckland Seafarer Jack Wyatt, Auckland Seafarers Secretary Garry Parsloe and Auckland Branch Executive member Sean Kelleher at the Auckland CTU Government Forum

Auckland CTU – Government Forum

by Garry Parsloe, Auckland Seafarers’ Secretary National Vice President On the 21 June 2007 the CTU Unions Auckland held the Auckland CTU/Government Forum at the Ellerslie Event Centre in Auckland.

I opened the forum by giving an outline of the purpose of the Forum and the Agenda.

The first hour (5pm-6pm) was set aside for a CTU Unions Auckland presentation.

In this section we had a presentation from CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont on key CTU projects and work areas, then a presentation from the Chairman of the Auckland Regional Council Mike Lee on the importance of Local Body Elections.

We also heard from Anthony Rimmel on the ACC/CTU Advocacy Service and Linda Holt regarding the Working Women’s Resource Centre, before I summed up on the importance of getting involved in Unions Auckland and all the campaigns.

At 6pm CTU Vice President Helen Kelly welcomed the Prime Minister to the Forum.

The Prime Minister then spoke at length on the importance of returning a Labour led Government at the next elections before we broke into Workshops.

There were four Workshops: A. Transport with Annette King.

B. Economic Transformation with Trevor Mallard.

C. Employment Relations with Ruth Dyson.

D. Working for Families and Employment with David Cunliffe.

www.munz.org.nz

These Workshops were very well structured and of benefit to all those who attended.

When the Workshops ended the facilitators reported back before I opened the Forum up to a question and answer session.

This session was also of great value.

At 8.30 we had a wrap up from the Prime Minister, Carol Beaumont then myself before I closed what was a most productive Government-CTU Forum.

As soon as we received the news that Spotless had locked their workers out, Russell Mayn and myself immediately visited the picket lines where I was given the opportunity to address these workers on behalf of MUNZ and the CTU Auckland Unions.

In my presentation I was able to deliver both moral and financial assistance.

I went on to explain that the Maritime Unions have had years of experience in fighting these type of employers and that this fight was one that all workers in all Unions would need to fight collectively.

Workers must unite together to defeat these out of control employers.

We also attended Delegates’ meetings at Middlemore Hospital where we were able to get directly involved in planning a strategy on how to deal with Spotless.

At the end of the week (Friday 4pm) CTU Unions Auckland met to discuss how best to support the locked out Spotless workers.

All the Unions agreed that one of the most important actions was to get financial support to these workers as soon as possible and for that reason all Unions agreed to assist in bucket collections all over Auckland.

We had set the MUNZ bucket collection day for the 26 July 2007 but it was called off as on the 23 July the court ruled that the lockout was illegal and all workers were to be re-employed immediately.

This was a great decision from the Court but what can’t be understated is all the support from all the Unions. This set the scene for the victory.

United we stand.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 21

PORT ROUNDUPS

Auckland Local 13 Secretary Russell Mayn, Auckland Seafarers Secretary Garry Parsloe, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Local 13 President Denis Carlisle at the Auckland Waterfront Reunion, Point Chevalier RSA, 24 June 2007 (photo by Terry Ryan)

Auckland Waterfront Local 13

by Russell Mayn Long may the stopwork meetings remain the corner stone of the decision making process within our Union.

At a recent meeting held in Auckland Local 13 had a great turnout, over two hundred members attended to debate the Port Company Collective Employment Agreement along with the day to day issues the Local is involved in.

Many employers see our regular meetings as outdated and a hangover from the past.

To them stopwork meetings are just an inconvenience to the shipper and to the company.

They are in fact the highest decision making forum within the Union, and the arena for members to voice their views and direct the officials on future policies and strategies.

Without these meetings I believe we would quickly become inefficient and cumbersome.

Perhaps this is how some employers view us at present, or could it be that in reality the Maritime Union is unwilling to settle for mediocrity when it comes to the conditions and agreements our members work under.

22 | The Maritimes | October 2007

My view is that when some employers, and I am referring only to a small number of the employers we deal with, say that they want to work with the Union and come to an agreement, this is really just window dressing. The real meaning of working with the Union is to get agreement from the Union to implement company policy.

We make no apology for challenging this view and will carry on challenging companies who work under this pretext. The conditions and hours of work seafarers and dockers undertake are different from other industries and the profits generated are substantial.

The gains in productivity since Port Reform have been evident and this has meant an upheaval for workers and their families within our Industry.

Yet when you analyse the increase in remuneration for these changes it seems that Maritime workers have not received their share.

Safety standards are high in some companies yet in others there is room for improvement.

Training is a moveable feast as there are no industry standards. When you bring casualisation into the mix, along with the increasing pressure to allow labour hire companies to fill the peaks, employers are exposing our Industry to incalculable risks.

I have some sympathy for the position that our employers face if they introduce high standards within their companies and retain a permanent workforce. They face the possibility of being undercut by a competitor who is using casual untrained labour to maximise returns.

There is no simple answer but to not address this will be to the long term detriment of our Industry.

Industry Minimum A step forward would be to introduce an Industry minimum for induction and training for all casual workers within our Industry that assure every Maritime worker that they can feel confident that the person they are working alongside is competent.

This should also include a control of the hours of work.

At present it is impossible to ascertain what hours a casual from a labour hire company has completed before he arrives at work.

The real answer is to phase out casualisation and build the permanent workforce to a level that services the Industry.

This may sound like heresy to employers but I believe there is an argument to say that a highly trained workforce will compete on performance. It should also be noted that our workforce is aging.

We have trainees onboard some ships but this number will have to increase if we are to remain in a position to man vessels as the need for seafarers increases as our trading requirements expand. The companies involved in this training are to be congratulated for their foresight.

I also understand that one Port Company has introduced cadetships for stevedores, these initiatives are what is required and will pay dividends in the long run. New Zealand is suffering from a lack of tradespeople following the destruction of apprenticeships during the 1990’s, and is now reacting and trying to fast track trainees to fill the void created by poor planning.

Our industry could find itself in the same situation if it is not careful, and continues to focus on casualisation at the expense of commitment to a sustainable future. I am confident that the Union will support any company that takes up the challenge to introduce an Industry standard that will create a safer workplace.

This will not be easy but if left in the too hard basket will result in an increasing number of injuries and inefficiencies in the Maritime industry.

A big thanks to all of the membership who attended the stopwork meeting and took part in the debate regarding their future, this was one of the best meeting we have had in recent times. “Touch One Touch All�

www.munz.org.nz

PORT ROUNDUPS

Wellington Seafarers

by Joe Fleetwood

Toll Finally after 10 months of negotiating the branch has reached an agreement. The Toll New Zealand / MUNZ Collective agreements will run for a two year term.

During the term of the agreement we have set up the Maritime and Interislander Operations Council to deal with outstanding issues.

We have engaged ship board representatives to work alongside the employer to deal with the refit of the Arahura.

NIWA It has been agreed between the Maritime Union of Australia and the Maritime Union of New Zealand that the New Zealand Government research vessel Tangaroa has been engaged by Geosciences Australia in Canberra on a one off 47 day trip on the Australian coast.

The vessel will retain a full Kiwi crew based the RV Southern Surveyor on Australian terms and conditions. This was only achieved due to the close working class relationship we have with the MUA in conjunction with the Trans Tasman Federation.

Offshore Tidewater Marine Great to see Tidewater back in NZ waters again with a long term contract for the Yeo Tide, maybe looking at another vessel this year. The Union and Tidewater have agreed that Tidewater will become party to the current New Zealand multi party collective agreement.

Swires NZ Swires have a long term vessel on its way, and may have more in the pipe line, Branch President Mike Clark and I met with Swires NZ Manager Andy Neville to discuss the first ever entry of deck trainees into the offshore.

Together we are confident we can achieve two trainees as a start with NZ Swires. We have a training module in place that we are modifying for our trainees. Also we have ironed out some teething problems with Maritime New Zealand and we are currently on track to engage deck trainees in the offshore.

Let’s hope I was not a little premature in giving Minister of Transport Annette King a good rap for being a person that is finally known for doing the job she was elected to do.

Delegates

May have a couple of vessels coming on line later this year and early next year.

Comrades, the branch would like to thank you personally for taking up the battle of ensuring that the rogue employer abides by the collective agreement that is in place, and also having to deal with the crawling of certain individuals to the boss.

Strait Shipping

Farstad/MUA Offshore meeting

We are currently under way with contract talks to renew the expired Seafarers’ agreement.

Members, I attended the meeting in Melbourne on 30/31 August 2007 on behalf of the Union.

We discussed many issues with the offshore in Australia where we have many Kiwi seafarers working for Farstad.

Their was an extensive agenda to get through, and also a great Powerpoint on the exciting times ahead for us all in the offshore. A full report will follow.

OMS

Other issues SFWU The Wellington branch with other members of the working class took advantage of the Harry Potter book launch by strategically positioning people outside the major book shops, which resulted in raising donations of $300 dollars for the locked out hospital workers.

I would like to thank those that attended and also the organizers of the day.

Open Coast Policy Comrades, we believe the big multi national ship owner Maersk has pulled away from legal proceedings seeking interpretation/clarification on Section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act. The Maritime Unions and the Shipping Federation are still seeking a more definitive meaning to Section 198 and the open coast policy as to fully protect the New Zealand coastal shipping industry.

The intent of the Act was to allow a foreign vessel to carry coastal cargo whilst transiting on an international voyage.

Then it was to leave and continue on its international voyage and NOT to trade on dedicated coastal shipping routes in direct competition with our home grown shipping companies, which has seen the constant demise of NZ coastal shipping.

www.munz.org.nz

Quote “Militant trade unionists should not become dizzy with a victory nor should they become despondent with a defeat.

We need to keep our balance in both of the above situations and learn from our victories and our defeats.”

Dare to struggle Dare to win If you don’t fight You lose.

Methyl bromide use suspended on Picton waterfront Fumigation with methyl bromide has been halted at Shakespeare Bay at the Port of Marlborough.

The decision by the port company comes after extensive community concern about the use of the toxic gas. The issue had become a major issue in the local elections and several public meetings have been held.

The decision has resulted in a major export log shipment to India being held on the wharves.

The Shipping Gazette reported on 15 September that the port company, local forestry industry and the Government were negotiating with Indian authorities on alternative fumigants.

Port Marlborough chief executive Des Ashton says that methyl bromide would have been phased out eventually as an ozone depleting substance, and the decision had nothing to do with its toxicity.

Local workers and groups such as Guardians of the Sounds have continued to voice their opposition.

Reaction from some forest industry bosses has been predictably negative. However as few CEOs and managers are directly exposed to industrial poisons on the job, unlike workers, their lack of concern for health and safety is not surprising.

The Maritime Union represents some workers in Picton, but not directly on the waterfront. The Union intends to support any workers if they feel they have been exposed to methyl bromide on the job.

The Maritime Union continues to urge the immediate phase out of methyl bromide in favour of new fumigant solutions.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 23

PORT ROUNDUPS Meetings

Alan McDonald addresses the August stopwork meeting of the Port Chalmers Dunedin branch, Maritime Union of New Zealand

It is indeed heartening to see the good turnouts at meetings, which means interesting meetings with good debate.

While we have such good turnouts it indicates the Union is in good heart as these gatherings are the opportunity for members to put their points of view which is debated and hopefully some good comes of it all.

Also Alan McDonald’s seafarers’ reports are well received.

Local Body Elections

Port Chalmers Dunedin Local 10

by Phil Adams Greetings from the Deep South.

The weather has a spring feel about it and the work particularly in the terminal has slowed down. This gives the company the chance to train up new entrants and get the yard tidied up before the next busy export season starts.

A new sideloader has just arrived which will alleviate the workload of the existing sideloaders particularly when the busy season starts.

Asphalting around bad patches around the terminal should see driving conditions improve.

Also the fourth crane is up and running and is certainly speeding up the turnaround of vessels in the Port.

Training of the drivers for the new cranes is taking place and younger members are being taught to drive the older green cranes before moving onto the two ‘big blues’ (new cranes.)

24 | The Maritimes | October 2007

Currently we are in discussions with the Company to look at manning a three crane operation over 24 hours.

A proposal of sliding 10 hours was put to a full meeting and although agreed in principle the meeting wanted more information in regard to how it works and what effect it will have on the workforce as we have had to change our hours of work every year for the last three years and it is wearing thin.

During these talks we are inviting younger members of the Executive so they can witness what goes on when meeting with management.

All this is taking place at a time when we are receiving remits for the upcoming negotiations.

It is gratifying to see some thought has gone into the remits and in particular remits from our members in the shed, which we hope will see a whole revamp of their section of the collective agreement.

We have recently negotiated with the company an agreement for working rail around the sheds at night. Graham Wright, the delegate for the lads around there, is doing a sterling job and attends our executive meetings to convey concerns from the sheds.

The Sheds are currently employing more forklift drivers as the Fonterra workload increases. Morale seems to have picked up around there.

Port Chalmers Cargo Services These lads have been busy even without Dennis Lobb who was injured recently on a log ship. Dennis is due back to work shortly.

The rest have been busy on fish, logs, cement and fertilizer, and have recently gained the chip ship work previously done by the Port Company.

Recently the two lads there who were on a 24 hour guarantee have been elevated to full 40 hour week workers. Noel Currie continues to serve us well as delegate at Port Chalmers Cargo Services.

Holcim The branch is currently negotiating a 2 year agreement for the five lads at Holcim Cement.

It is hoped by the time the magazine goes to print the agreement will be signed and sealed, as money is the last sticking point.

In the next month or so, local body elections will take place and it is hoped all members will exercise their democratic rights and vote.

Local member Alan McDonald is running and told the last meeting he is standing to try and hold on to the record of most unsuccessful candidate in local body elections.

Our branch hope that this is the end of the record and he gets voted in this time. Good luck Alan.

KiwiSaver Recently we had WISF Fund Director Susan Leuchars in port to talk on KiwiSaver.

Her talk was informative and hopefully made up the minds of those interested in joining KiwiSaver.

Since then some anomalies regarding KiwiSaver have been found and at present we are seeking answers to some of the finer points. But we hope members will join KiwiSaver for the tax incentives and $1000 entry amount.

Sporting success Congratulations to terminal member Dave West whose daughter Popa has been selected for the New Zealand Under 14 Girls Basketball Team, which includes a trip to Australia and the USA to play in tournaments.

Popa is seeking sponsorship and this will be discussed at our Executive Meeting.

www.munz.org.nz

PORT ROUNDUPS Drugs and alcohol

Interport Sports Tourney

The problems of drugs and alcohol on the job has raised its head again and our Branch warns those who continue to take banned substances to consult with an official so as to get help.

The Branch cannot and will not defend members who continue to flaunt this as a serious accident causing injury could meet with dire consequences.

Entries close for Interport 2008 soon and it appears a large contingent will be heading to Whangarei for the event.

Good luck to all participants.

Illness Members off work with illness at the moment are Neville Scoles, Dennis Lobb, Sean Duffy and also Davey Dick’s wife Sharon. We wish them all a speedy recovery.

Horse Ohoka Jasper has won again and continues to amaze us although he is starting to give some big starts to other horses and is rumoured he may be heading to the USA to race over there.

Delegate training Union education and safety officer Bob Riwai from Local 13 is organizing a delegates’ training day in our Port soon, so those interested please let the Secretary know.

Aussie Trip So far five members will be attending the Maritime Union of Australia Conference in Sydney in April next year, Ian Quarrell, Andrew Jennings, Tank Lysaght, Paul Napier and Albie Patton. This should be a great experience for them.

New Generation Ships The Port Company are making plans to deepen our harbour to take the new Maersk 6100 vessels, and are also advertising for many positions at the Company.

This can only be positive for our branch leading to an increase in our numbers into the future.

We believe Port Chalmers is now the No. 1. Port in the South and by taking the bull by the horns and setting up to take these larger vessels we are establishing ourselves as a major port.

The current and former members of the Union can take a lot of credit for where we are today and this should not be underestimated.

Well that’s it from Port Chalmers, we look to the future with a positive outlook but we all know with the volatile nature of shipping it cannot be taken for granted.

Remember to attend meetings and to take an official with you when summoned by management. Be proud to be part of a Union that well and truly punches above its weight and represents its members in a way that has made our Union the major Union on the waterfront.

Long may it continue.

Alliance Conference The Alliance Party are holding their Annual Conference in Dunedin during Labour Weekend and I have been asked to open the Conference.

I am honoured to speak at the Conference.

www.munz.org.nz

Wellington Waterfront

by John Whiting Since the last issue of “The Maritimes” Maersk have removed their coastal feeder service and this has impacted adversely on us with the loss of the weekly ship call.

It appears that the Wellington cargo is being moved by rail.

Centrepac This Company, which is an associate body of the Port Company, operates vanning and devanning alongside the container terminal and over recent times has seen an increasing volume of work resulting in more employment.

This increasing workforce have elected to join MUNZ and have decided to pursue a collective agreement. The Branch has initiated bargaining on Centrepac and we anticipate getting round the table to secure an acceptable collective.

Centreport Matters currently being dealt with at the Port Company include intensive negotiations on putting in place a retirement policy acceptable to our members. This has to deal with a fairly high age group profile in the workforce and serve the needs of the workforce into the future.

The preliminaries of negotiating a drug and alcohol policy have also been discussed in conjunction with the RMTU and EPMU and we are determined to negotiate with the Company in good faith to achieve a policy that is fair and non-punitive, and not random test based.

The need to aim for an outcome that reflects our national policy and incorporates up–to–date developments is also paramount.

Lyttelton Rank and file report by Clinton Norris, Lyttelton Branch Executive Member, Toll Stevedores The months of July and August have been busy months for us with having to seek skilled workers on several occasions from the Ports of Timaru and Napier to help us with our peak times.

We have worked bulk cargos of Gypsum and Palm Kernel along with our regular car, log, banana, containers and steel cargo vessels.

We also discharged a full shipment of concrete railway sleepers imported from China and just recently loaded a shipment of a locally made conveyor in sections for Brisbane.

In our down time (LOL) we are also busy with vacuuming and steam cleaning of imported vehicles.

All the staff at Toll Owens Lyttelton would like to wish Brian Tallott (Bushy) all the best in his retirement after 37 years in the industry.

We would also like to wish Garry Briggs all the best for a full recovery from his recent back operation.

We are still experiencing a shortage of skilled permanent labour and are hoping for our two GWEs to be promoted up to full time 40/7 employment within the next month or two.

The month of July was a safe working month for the company with no reported accidents or injuries although we had a near miss with a log falling from the deck of a log vessel while loading and just missing the two wharf hands.

With this being reported there are now safe practices put in place for wharf hands while loading logs on the deck of a log vessel.

We were fortunate to have Chief Executive of Toll Owens Sean Bolt call in on us during the month, sitting in on a general discussion with our local Union Organizer/President Les Wells and ourselves.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 25

PORT ROUNDUPS

Tauranga Mount Maunganui

Maritime Union Bluff Branch joins the Spotless picket in Invercargill, from left, Secretary Ray Fife, President Harry Holland and executive member Ivan Pollock

by Phil Spanswick

Bluff

by Ray Fife

Prospects There is a lot of excitement about opportunities that look to be heading Southland’s way.

Concessions let for oil exploration both on and off shore and some fairly hyped comments about what this will mean sets the tone.

Our region’s port company South Port, will put formal servicing tenders to the three consortia awarded oil exploration permits of the Great South Basin.

The significant spin-off business from the exploration would include berthing vessels and supplying goods such as fuel, drilling materials, lubrication, cement, food and other consumables.

It is predicted that the consortia will spend in excess of $1 billion investigating the Great South Basin over the next 5 years.

The first initial benefits will be jobs for seafarer members once the seismic vessels arrive.

There is prosperity for our dairy farmers who are touted to have incomes that were only a dream eighteen months ago.

26 | The Maritimes | October 2007

Prospects of hundreds of conversions of more farms to dairying and current prices and on farm conversions costs come to about one and a half million dollars a farm.

A new dairying factory is to be built near Bluff to cater for the increase in milk production in the region.

There is also the prospect that Solid Energy plan to build a lignite to diesel factory in Southland that will make 40,000 barrels of fuel a day.

Opportunities abound, but there are huge challenges, like providing the right decision making about infrastructure and environmental challenges.

Locked Out Spotless Workers Our Branch was involved in supporting these workers while locked out by Spotless Services in Invercargill.

Over 800 low paid hospital service workers throughout New Zealand were locked out by their employer Spotless Services because the company refused to offer the same terms and conditions as all the District Health Boards and a collective agreement covering service and support workers in hospitals.

Spotless Services is a huge Australian multinational company.

Most of the workers they locked out are on about the minimum wage and could not afford to go without pay while Spotless tried to starve them into submission.

We were able to get members to their picket line, and on their street march through the business district of Invercargill and further supported them with a cash donation.

They really appreciated our more aggressive support at the picket line as most were women, new to picketing and did not really know how to treat the scab workers that Spotless had employed.

There was a successful outcome as the courts ruled that Spotless had illegally locked out the workers and they were able to get a wage increase to bring them in line with other workers in their industry.

Branch Elections We were able to fill all positions without the need to hold an election.

Elected were, President: Harry Holland, Secretary: Ray Fife and executive Ross Tangney, Ivan Pollock, Terry Osborne and Chris Barrett.

All the best to the officials and executive and we hope the membership gets behind them and supports them fully.

Greetings from the sunny Bay of Plenty.

The breakdown in the amalgamation with the RMTU has not gone down well with the membership here in Mt Maunganui as the members of both MUNZ and RMTU could see the benefits of the amalgamated Union here in the Bay. Discussions with formalising the region with Whangarei, Auckland Seafarers, Local 13 and ourselves is ongoing and we hope the region will be finalised by Christmas 2007.

Negotiations are still ongoing over the TLNZ Collective and Quality Marshalling Collectives.

Along with the RMTU we are working slowly through a combined Collective with Toll Owens.

The Branch has been able to contribute to the Toll Owens drug and alcohol court case which is set down for the week of 10 September 2007.

With the Kiwifruit season drawing to a close, we anticipate some difficulties with NZL regarding the extra number of casuals that are on their books.

A number of ITF ship visits have taken place with Richard Rankin and Peter Harvey leading the charge.

At our Special Meeting on 11 July 2007, attended by Garry Parsloe and Russell Mayn, we hopefully have put to bed the issues of National Affiliation and we would like to thank the National Officers and Branches who were positive about helping to resolve this issue for the Branch.

Our casual members are anxiously awaiting the report on Casualization being carried out by the Department of Labour.

Hopefully it will be good news for the casuals.

www.munz.org.nz

PORT ROUNDUPS

Napier

by Bill Connelly

Around and about: Although not the busiest period of the year for our members in permanent employment, they are still working regular hours on a daily basis to turn around a vastly different array of shipping.

This is likely to continue until the port hits its busy period, around early February 2008.

Members who have recently left the industry Two members from Southern Cross Stevedoring – Napier Branch, formerly Hawkes Bay Stevedoring Services Limited, have left the industry recently due to injuries sustained in the workplace and after having spent many months off on Accident Compensation.

They are:

John Winter John joined the Napier Branch on 17 June 1974 and was one of our older serving members, who took a keen interest in the Union and the health and well being of his workmates.

In his younger days on the waterfront he was a vital part of the then “Wharfies over 30’s” soccer team, and a keen golfer and always up for a challenge, be it on the sporting field or some other avenue.

Some would say his biggest sporting interest was horse racing, but not me.

I can always remember when we took the telephone out of Ohope holiday accommodation, John asking the question “How do I get my bets on with the TAB now”, thank goodness for mobile phones.

John you are already missed by your workmates, but they and I know where you live and no doubt we will visit you from time to time. John left on 29 April 2007 and the Union and the membership wish him well.

Robbie Williams Unlike John Winter, Robbie Williams was one of our younger members, who joined the Napier Branch on 26 August 2002 as a Guaranteed Wage Earner (GWE).

Destroyed containers with the remains of a cargo of “Australian reds”, Port of Timaru (photo by John Bisset, courtesy of the Timaru Herald)

Robbie had been working as a casual for many years and jumped at the opportunity to be in permanent employment in 2002. Robbie was an integral part of the Union in the employ of the Company.

Readers might remember Robbie as the bare-footed golfer, who took part in the annual “Hackers and Knackers” golf competition. His photograph was shown in a previous issue of the “Maritimes”.

Robbie left on 5 August 2007 and the Branch and the membership wish him well in his future endeavours.

Kelcold Negotiations seem to have stalemated, with the parties failing to agree in mediation.

A full meeting of the membership was held on 25 June 2007 to bring them up to date with progress to date and also to listen to the Company’s offer.

The membership rejected the Company’s offer and put forward a counter offer, which is currently being discussed.

We are hopeful of reaching an agreement.

Gold Coast accommodation in Australia This apartment will be for sale shortly and is going to be put on the market on 3 November 2007 at the wish of the membership of the Branch.

www.munz.org.nz

Gisborne

Timaru

by Dein Ferris

by Kevin Forde

Winter is traditionally the quiet time for us in the port. While it has been slow lately, this year we have had a bonus of extra shipping namely Kiwifruit vessels (eleven to be precise.)

As well as local fruit, product was transported in from Opotiki and Tauranga. As stated a nice little bonus. Thanks to the skills of the guys and girls (believe me there are not too many around who load this type of cargo as quickly or efficiently as these people) we have been told there will be more Kiwi’s next season.

Our staple diet the JNL vessels have changed ownership. We hope the status quo remains.

We are currently in negotiations with Southern Cross Stevedores. Our contract expired in January and we are waiting for Steve Bell to respond to our claims at the time of writing.

The Timaru branch will be having its AGM later in September.

There has been lots of crosshiring to the port company and out of port to Lyttelton, Port Chalmers and Bluff with a fair bit of local work on fertilizer, fish boats and Tasman Orient.

We have written a letter to Maritime New Zealand about Tasman Orient vessels where we have lots of concerns with cranes creeping and can’t find neutral. We don’t believe they are up to scratch, and there is a safety issue here.

There are rumours that a yellow union might be coming into town. We are remaining vigilant.

We recently had an unusual incident aboard the NexoeMaersk which encountered bad weather on its voyage from New Plymouth. A dozen containers were badly damaged including two that were filled with cases of Australian red wine.

One estimate in the local paper suggested that each container held around 1100 cases of wine, around 26,000 bottles all up.

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 27

Remembrance plaque including the Merchant Navy unveiled in Featherston, 2007 Retired Federal Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia John Coombs and his wife Gwen recently made a special trip to New Zealand to visit Bunny Milne, wife of the late Jimmy Milne, former Secretary of the Wellington Branch of the Watersiders Union, August 2007

Letters Paddy returns

South Pacific Shipping liquidation

by Kathy Whelan Some 9 years after the collapse of South Pacific Shipping, the liquidation process has finally been completed.

The ITF represented all crews and all departments throughout this process and in the early stages filed claims for and obtained the money for the secured claims (wages, PAYE and holiday pay).

We also filed claims for the unsecured amounts such as redundancy. There were 310 unsecured creditors totalling $23,207,157.71 and a distribution of 9.3 cents in the dollar has been determined.

Most crew have now received their payments from the liquidator (PricewaterhouseCoopers) but inevitably, with the passage of time, some addresses and contacts have changed. We are looking for the address and IRD number of the following ex-crew members of SPS to finalise the payout process.

R. Hill NZMSG R. Walton NZMSG J. Chandler NZMSG K. Swatridge NZMSG G. Clark NZMSG B. Dickson NZMSG M. Falconer NZMSG C. Osborne NZMSG R. Frazer AMEA P. Grimwood AMEA R. Knight AMEA P. Gilbert NZSU M. Burke NZSU K. Davis NZSU B. Surgay NZSU P. Andrews NZSU M. Bernard NZSU H. Jacobs NZSU R. Marconi NZSU M. Brown NZSU I. Gardner NZSU K. Jacomb NZSU W. Koteka NZSU A. Thompson NZSU W. Walker NZSU E. Wilson NZSU Contact Kathy Whelan, ITF, Telephone (04) 801 7613 Email kwhelan@actrix.co.nz or send details to PO Box 27004, Wellington

Dear Editor, Your kind review of my book Paddy the Wanderer has prompted me to write to ask whether any members of MUNZ – or friends – have any recollections or photographs of this famous Wellington seafaring dog of the 1930s, that they may be prepared to share with readers.

The success of Paddy, which went into reprint three weeks after publication, has prompted my publishers HarperCollins and me to look at producing a more definitive Paddy book, including our 1930s photos of him, the Wellington wharves, some of the ships he travelled on etc plus much extra information on the social conditions and people at that time which were not used in the first book.

They will, we hope, enhance the original book (which will also feature in this second book) of this amazing dog and the times that he and his friends lived through.

If anyone has any information, please contact me on 09 5757 586, Mobile 021 819 323, email di.h@ihug.co.nz or by post: Dianne Haworth, PO Box 25-653, St Heliers, Auckland 1740.

Anything, however small, is of interest!

Thank you all Dianne Haworth

28 | The Maritimes | October 2007

Merchant Navy Memorial Recently I attended an unveiling of a special plaque which was attached to the war memorial of two wars in the main street at Featherston in the Wairarapa.

My friend and former colleague Jim Woods was there with his family and as we waited for the bus load of veterans to arrive from Wellington we talked about the function we were about to witness.

This was in fact recognition of the role played and total degree of participation of the men in the Merchant Service in both wars, particularly – due to the passage of time – the Second World War. Whilst acknowledging the active role that Bro Speydon of the Auckland Branch of the Merchant Navy Association had also played, the honours go to Ian Dymock President of the Wellington Branch of the Association for having done more than anyone in a practical sense to have plaques laid throughout New Zealand in recognition of the Merchant Seafarers who also served and gave their lives in the World Wars.

Through the Association Ian has also done sterling work in getting pensions and medical assistance to veterans of the war.

It is a record well worth recording and I would think a record within a record was agreed with Jim and I - that we never thought we would attend a service honouring Merchant Seafarers in Featherston.

Well done Ian and thanks.

Dave Morgan (Former President, New Zealand Seafarers Union) www.munz.org.nz

PORT ROUNDUPS

Obituary George Brabander

by Kathy Whelan George Brabander (AB, Union number 1492, retired) died in UK on 25 June 2007 aged 76 from cancer.

George and his wife Tess and son Martin came to New Zealand from UK in December 1963.

George almost immediately joined the Seaman’s Union and shipped out on coastal vessels such as the Kokiri and Echo, later joining the Aramoana and then Wahine.

He was on board when the Wahine sank and all who knew George would have expected no less of him than the role he played in risking his own life to save others.

The picture published with this article is a small illustration of the bravery he and his fellow crew members showed on that fateful day.

George was a highly intelligent, strong opinionated man with a set of principles that he never flinched from so it was no surprise that he became active in Union affairs almost immediately.

A very quick thinker with a sharp articulate mind it was not long before he became a valued and important member of the Union negotiating team – calculating the costs and effects of proposals whilst the officials did the negotiating – no employer could put anything or anyone up who could match him.

In the mid 1980s George did a stint in the offshore industry and survived yet another maritime catastrophe – this time in the air.

The helicopter transporting the crew to and from the vessel Lady Rachael, which was standing by the oil rig Benreoch, crashed – and by some miracle did not explode.

www.munz.org.nz

George Brabander carries a young passenger to safety from the wreck of the Wahine, 10 April 1968. This famous photo appeared in the Evening Post.

He then settled into the rail ferries for the last decade of his seagoing career before returning home to live in the UK and fulfill a long time promise to his wife Tess who had never overcome her homesickness.

Although the UK was once again his home, he never left New Zealand and all his friends here, especially because New Zealand was the home of his pride and joy – son Martin, daughter-in-law Erin and grandson James.

To Tess, Martin, Erin and James – our sincere and heartfelt sympathy. Your loss in indeed shared by us.

As an assessor to the award negotiations George was almost without equal – his friend Harry (Kane) could outflank him depending on the subject.

Harry was a gun on how a proposal for leave systems might work, but if it was the value of a particular offer put on the table George was without peer.

Dave Morgan Former President NZ Seamen’s (Seafarers) Union

Very sorry to hear of George’s death.

What a steadying force he was as delegate and advisor at meetings.

Convey my sympathy to his wife and son. I spoke to George while he was here, the union missed his forceful arguments, and down to earth attitude to negotiations.

I remember George in the early days on the Wahine, though new to the coast, and I think to union disputes. He could muster a sound and very forceful argument.

At the time of the Wahine disaster, I remember the manner in which he was all over the place, organizing and doing so much to keep things moving, telling others what should be done.

(As he frequently did in negotiations with railways – I mean in the nicest way!)

I believe the picture of George in the Evening Post carrying that young boy ashore at Seatoun, spoke volumes about George and his priorities.

He was an argumentative bastard but a very good and down to earth seaman, mate and delegate, someone who could be depended on.

He is missed.

Jim Woods Former Secretary NZ Seamen’s (Seafarers) Union

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 29

OBITUARY

Obituary:

William ‘Pincher’ Martin (1923–2007)

By Mick Williams William (Pincher) Martin. Born September 1923, Wapping, England, arrived in New Zealand 1927. Died June 12, 2007, Lyttleton aged 83. President of the New Zealand Seamen’s Union (1964 – 1973).

Pincher was the ultimate Kiwi union man – the sort of workers’ leader you aspired to be.

He became one of those rare union officials who genuinely believed in flax roots democracy and did all he could to put it into practice.

He liked recounting his first big lesson in taking on a leadership role: he had disobeyed his wharfie father and gone to sea during the Second World War, and almost before he had gained his sea legs he had been elected ship’s delegate.

30 | The Maritimes | October 2007

When he returned, his father confronted him in the garden, briefly interrogated him and then knocked him over - not for running away to sea, but for taking on the delegate’s position before having mastered all the skills involved in being a seaman.

Later Bill would always say, “To be a delegate, you’ve got to be the hardest worker.”

Another time he got sat on his arse was at his first negotiations after he had taken over as president of the union in 1964.

Before talks began, Bill launched into a speech about how the shipowners had paid for their wealth with the blood of generations of seamen. He ended his tirade with, “Nothing is too good for the workers!”, to which the bosses’ chief negotiator said, “Alright, Mr Martin, we’ll give the workers nothing.”

That was Bill. With his strength went good humour and humility. He despised people who tried to make big names for themselves and was not slow to show it. He confronted F.P. Walsh and survived, insulted Norman Kirk to his face and gave FOL leaders like Len Hadlee and Tom Skinner their pedigrees for collaborating with the government and accepting knighthoods.

He would sling off at unions who had lawyers for presidents, or who ran to the law in any dispute. He couldn’t fathom why a union would willingly surrender authority over the lives of workers to “some bastard with a sheepskin on his swede.” For him, the Labour Party, too, was part of the “bullshit brigade” and “Micky Savage was only a frontman for a bunch of turncoats”.

But, for me, it was not Bill the gladiator who was great, it was Bill the wise, practical leader, comrade and friend, who was great.

He was great because he always inspired courage and commitment in the people around him. During the Walsh years, rank and file demands for major changes to the lives of seafarers had been building up like water behind a dam and so when the old despot died in 1963, a flood of democracy was released.

Within the union then there were powerful competing political factions, dominating and larger-than-life personalities, dangerous criminal elements and tons of wild idealism – all this in the context of the tumultuous sixties. The union needed someone like Pincher who could offer direction and discipline to the struggle as well as allow flax roots initiative to flourish. He did this brilliantly. For him, the union was not just another pressure group, it was a way of life, a way of struggle for a better world.

During his decade as president, a string of the most significant achievements in the union’s history were made.

These included reorganising the port-dominated and fractious structure into a nationally-coordinated fighting force, laying the foundations for the state-owned New Zealand Shipping Corporation, the setting up of the Pension Fund and forcing the practice of equal time on and off.

These involved protracted campaigns against hostile governments and slave-driving shipowners.

The union’s strength, as well as Bill’s personal power base, was established and continually bolstered at the regular stop work meetings up and down the country.

These packed meetings, where everyone could have their say, were often extremely heated and unruly and they didn’t all make the same decisions on important matters. But Bill had a way of weaving the strands together into a powerful movement.

He brushed aside the cowards who tried on old bullying, standover tactics, which had been such a curse through much of the union’s history.

As a result, the rank and file, supported by Bill’s bottom-up leadership style, were able to overthrow the old ‘auction block’ recruitment practice and replace it with a union-run roster system. The union had carved out a little bit of socialism in the maritime industry.

Seamen were employed by the industry, not by the shipping companies.

On the international front, Bill put an enormous effort into the peace movement in New Zealand and the Pacific. He led protests against French nuclear testing and fought against the visits of American nuclear warships.

He developed strong solidarity links with black workers in South Africa during Apartheid, helped build up Fijian and other Pacific union movements and reopened close relations with the Maritime Union of Australia.

Bill left office in 1973 and went back to sea, continuing as a sea-going national councillor.

He felt that his role as an official should come to an end.

He couldn’t bear the thought of becoming a bureaucrat.

Modern unionism, he used to say, was becoming led by seat-warmers and intellectuals.

“You don’t need a university degree to tell the boss he’s a bastard.”

But, at the same time he believed that all young seafarers should receive a good sound education. He used to insist that all members read ‘Against the Wind’, the history of the union, and learn about global issues, particularly international solidarity. www.munz.org.nz

NOTICES Bill, himself, like many of his generation of seamen, was very widely read, with a keen interest in international politics.

Some members used to accuse him of being anti-socialist because he tried to reign in “ultra-leftists”, “Peking parrots” or “anarchist hotheads”, but he often said that the people he admired most were V. I. Lenin and other early Marxists, and the genuine communists of his day like E.V. Elliot and Harry Bridges, whom he knew personally.

However, his belligerent character kept him clear of Party membership. He could not stomach any form of dogmatism or hero worshipping.

Dave Clarke tells a story of when he and Pincher were on a delegation to the Soviet Union. Early one morning their hosts woke them up to go on the obligatory visit to Lenin’s mausoleum. They knocked and knocked on Pincher’s door without any luck until finally Bill yelled out grumpily, “I’m not getting out of bed just to go and see some f***ing mummy!”

Pincher spent most of his retired life in Australia, where he worked tirelessly in support of the campaigns of the MUA and other unions there. Paddy Crumlin wrote recently, that his wisdom, commitment and deep knowledge made him a continuing part of Australian history.

But Bill expected that of everyone: “You retire from the job, but you never retire from the struggle.” And now he’s dead.

But “Don’t mourn” he used to quote Joe Hill as singing, just get on and “Educate – Agitate – Organise.”

The following was his favourite poem: O Lord above send down doves, With wings as sharp as razors, To cut the throats of “evil” shipowners, Who exploit and deny seamen, Of their rightful conditions and wages.

Jack (John) Harry Akula

by Tony Archer 0768

Ray Young

by Kathy Whelan In the last copy of the Maritimes we acknowledged the 90th birthday of a great seamen, staunch unionist and good and loyal friend – Ray Young.

Sadly we report that Ray died on 4 September 2007 after a fairly short but hard fought illness with his dear and beloved wife Eileen at his side.

Those of us who knew Ray, and there are many of us, are the richer for it – a finer person you will never meet.

To Ray’s wife Eileen who is also our dear friend and the family, we stand with you in your sorrow over the loss of Ray and mark a life that was truly well lived.

Stanley George Mills The Public Trust are attempting to locate the relatives of Stanley George Mills said to have been born 14 January 1923.

Mr Mills then living at 131 Lucknow Street, Wairoa died intestate on the 23 June 2006.

The Public Trust have very little knowledge of him and think he may have been a seafarer or at least “knocked around” in seafaring circles.

He was a painter and decorator in his latter years, described as a “jockey” like physique and a hard man – around 5 foot, had a tattoo resembling the Merchant Navy logo and one of a sailing ship on his arm.

Known as George Mills, he died of Alzheimer’s, and left nothing which indicates his past or any living relatives.

Could anyone who has heard of George Mills contact Kathy Whelan on 04 801 7613 or kathy.whelan@muno.org.nz

www.munz.org.nz

It is with great sadness I advise that John passed away 16 August 2007, peacefully at Palmerston North Hospital, aged 89.

John was a member of the New Zealand Seaman’s Union having joined in February 1949.

He was a true friend, great shipmate, and a good laugh.

He shipped out as a boy of Russian English descent on Merchant ships involved in convoys during the Second World War and was sunk by German torpedoes.

He later traded on the South American run on tramp ships finally ending up in New Zealand. He met Francie Sandilands from Feilding in the Midland Hotel in Wellington, they joined the New Zealand Lighthouse Keeping Service and had a family.

Later he joined the Seaman’s Union and worked on coastal ships.

John enjoyed a beer and a chat, having some strong views about issues and politics of the world including US policy, AIDS and New Zealand Politics. He had praise for the present Labour Goverment for raising the minimum wage.

He was a proud unionist to the end.

Our condolences go out to ‘Francie’, Dale and Family.

Rest in Peace John.

Maritime Union Branch and Local Contacts Whangarei Mobile: 021 855121 Fax: 09 459 4972 Address: PO Box 397, Whangarei

Auckland Seafarers Phone: 09 3032 562 Fax: 09 3790 766 Mobile: 021 326261 Address: PO Box 1840, Auckland Email: garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz Auckland Local 13 Phone: 09 3034 652 Fax: 09 3096 851 Mobile: 021 760887 Address: PO Box 2645, Auckland Email: local13@munz.org.nz Mount Maunganui Phone: 07 5755 668 Fax: 07 5759 043 Mobile: 0274 782308 Address: PO Box 5121, Mt. Maunganui Email: phil.spanswick@munz.org.nz Gisborne Local 38 Mobile: 025 6499697 Address: 5 Murphy Road,Gisborne Email: dein.ferris@munz.org.nz New Plymouth Mobile: 021479269 Address: PO Box 659, New Plymouth Email: rpcnz3@yahoo.co.nz Napier Phone/Fax: Mobile: Address: Email:

06 8358 622 027 6175441 PO Box 70, Napier bill.connelly@munz.org.nz

Wellington Seafarers Phone: 04 3859 288 Fax: 04 3848 766 Mobile: 021 481242 Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington Email: joe.fleetwood@muno.org.nz Wellington Waterfront Phone: 04 8017 619 Fax: 04 3848 766 Mobile: 021 606379 Address: PO Box 2773, Wellington Email: john.whiting@muno.org.nz Wellington Stores and Warehouse Local 21 Phone: 04 3859 520 Fax: 04 3848 766 Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington Nelson Fax: Mobile: Address:

03 5472104 0276222691 PO Box 5016, Nelson

Lyttelton Local 43 Phone: 03 3288 306 Fax: 03 3288 798 Mobile: 0274 329620 Address: PO Box 29, Lyttelton Email: lwwu@xtra.co.nz

Timaru Phone/Fax: 03 6843 364 Mobile: 021 2991091 Address: PO Box 813, Timaru

Port Chalmers Dunedin Local 10 Phone: 03 4728 052 Fax: 03 4727 492 Mobile: 0274 377601 Address: PO Box 44, Port Chalmers Email: phil.adams@munz.org.nz Bluff Phone/Fax: Mobile: Address: Email:

03 2128 189 027 4475317 PO Box 5, Bluff ray.fife@munz.org.nz

The Maritimes | October 2007 | 31

32 | The Maritimes | October 2007

www.munz.org.nz

Presentation of National Certificates in Cargo Handling, 2 July 2007

Maritime Union of New Zealand Port Chalmers Branch Local 10