The Maritimes March 2004

Issue 5 • March 2004

Magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand

Enough!

ISSN 1176-3418

ign a p Cam cial Spe

Casualization Contracting out Collapsing equipment Death and injury at work Job losses Scab unions Shipping industry crisis the list goes on . . .

The fightback starts here

Maritime workers must ‘unite to fight for our future’

By Trevor Hanson General Secretary This special edition of the Maritimes marks the launch of a national campaign by our Union to save the maritime industry.

A special meeting of the National Executive of the Union met by conference call in early February and resolved to launch the campaign after a report from the National Officials of the Maritime Union.

Our workforce is under constant attack. Any gains we make in individual ports are usually at the cost of another port; and in today’s world, we are only as strong as our weakest link.

Pages fifteen to nineteen of this Maritimes magazine give an indepth view of the crisis in our industry, and provides an initial plan of our campaign and its goals. I have taken the opportunity below to outline some of the key points.

The national campaign to save the Maritime Industry We face a range of industry problems, largely based around the effects of deregulation on the industry.

The opening of our coast to foreign and Flag of Convenience shipping has decimated our shipping industry and jeopardized the future of our seafarers.

On the waterfront, casualization, contracting out, and yellow unions are all undermining secure, permanent jobs for workers.

We need to understand that these problems are not separate issues, but are in fact all individual aspects of the same crisis in our industry.

Together with the national leadership of the Maritime Union, I urge all members to read about the campaign in this magazine and prepare to play their part.

If the situation cannot be improved now, under a Labour Government and relatively positive economic outlook, then we face a very bleak future indeed.

The central goal of the campaign is to achieve a system of regulation in the maritime industry that will provide job security to seafarers and watersiders.

In the process we also aim to revitalize the Maritime Union as an active, campaigning Union which is driven by an informed and active membership.

Special stopwork meetings will be held in all ports with national officials in attendance.

It is vital that all members attend in order to learn about the campaign, and to give officials their views as well.

The campaign is going to be the most ambitious the Union has undertaken in decades.

It will require commitment in time and money.

To this end, a $3 weekly levy on all members will be required to finance a high profile campaign.

The campaign will operate on several different levels.

Contact the Maritime Union National Office Telephone: 04 3850 792 Fax: 04 3848 766 Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington Email: trevor.hanson@muno.org.nz

National Vice President: Joe Fleetwood Mobile: 021 236 4646 Email: seajoe666nz@hotmail.com

General Secretary: Trevor Hanson Mobile: 0274 453 532 Email: trevor.hanson@muno.org.nz

Assistant General Secretary: Terry Ryan Mobile: 021 186 6643 Email: terry@munz.org.nz

National President: Phil Adams Mobile: 0274 377 601 Email: phil.adams@munz.org.nz

ITF Inspectorate: Kathy Whelan Mobile: 021 666 405 Email: kathy.whelan@muno.org.nz

We have to put our case to the Government and make sure the politicians understand the issues.

We need to develop our unity and awareness amongst our own membership.

And we need to spread the word amongst our own communities and the wider public.

It is no longer an option to ‘go it alone’ – we need to gain the support of other workers, and offer our support back to their struggles.

Put bluntly, we have no choice about this campaign.

We can continue to take the blows, and watch ourselves be divided and defeated.

Or we can unite and fight for our jobs, and our future.

Employment Relations Act A central part of our campaign is to have our industry placed in the category of a ‘vulnerable’ industry.

This will give our workforce some protection from the effects of contracting out, the process whereby company selloffs are used to break down the workforce and our conditions.

The Maritime Union is preparing submissions for the select committee on amendments to the Employment Relations Act (ERA).

Our view is that many employment agreements aren’t worth the paper they’re written on, because of the contracting-out and ownership changes that regularly shake up our industry.

Proposed changes to the ERA give protection to unionized workers in vulnerable industries when a new contractor takes over.

The Maritime Union is pressing hard to have our members’ jobs protected in this way.

The Union is also seeking for ports to have permanent labour and crosshire between all port employers, with port training to be carried out centrally at each port.

As part of our campaign, the Maritime Union is also pushing for an official review of health and safety on the waterfront, and its jeopardy at the hands of ‘suitcase stevedores’ and the floating

[continued on page 6]

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Time to make a stand

by Phil Adams National President In my first report as National President of the Maritime Union, I am proud to say our Union is taking up the challenge and setting up a national campaign in defence of the maritime industry and our members at sea and on the waterfront.

The recent amalgamation of Seafarers and Watersiders was a major step in uniting and bringing together two groups of workers with a strong history of common struggle.

The leadership of the Maritime Union believes that we must act immediately to defend our jobs and industry.

Casualization, contracting out, the destruction of the New Zealand shipping industry, yellow unions – all these threats must be combatted.

There is no alternative – we can either get in behind the campaign, or stick our heads in the sand and wonder who is going to be next on the hit list.

The key to the campaign and our future is to realize that no matter what company or port, whether seafarer or watersider, we have common goals and a common future.

We owe it to those who came before us, we owe it to those young people seeking a future in our industry, and most of all we owe it to ourselves.

Ship crew doing wharfies’ work The Union had another success when Vice President Joe Fleetwood uncovered a bogus “addition” to an ITF agreement on an ANL ship.

Joe discovered the crew had obviously been forced to sign an addendum

saying the crew would be paid a lower rate than the existing ITF agreement.

It also required crew to perform all our stevedoring work at no extra pay!

The Maritime Union immediately took action to clamp down on this dodgy kind of activity.

New Zealand ITF Inspector Kathy Whelan contacted the ITF Head Office in London and then our German and Australian sister unions.

We asked each branch around New Zealand to inform their members of what was going on, and most branches faxed ANL expressing their displeasure.

The Union’s national office then contacted MSA, OSH and the Minister of Labour pointing out that the company was breaking our coverage clauses under New Zealand law.

Kathy Whelan finally received word from the company saying they would not break New Zealand regulations, and that they had removed the extra clause on the crew agreement.

This is one of the most important victories we have had in recent times.

It shows the trouble we took to get our work coverage included in employment agreements was absolutely correct.

Maritime Union of Australia solidarity It was satisfying to see the invitation for 10 delegates and 3 officials of the Maritime Union of New Zealand to attend the MUA conference in March 2004.

This should be a great experience for both sides of the Tasman as sharing our ideas can only strengthen both our unions.

“The Campaign to save the Maritime Industry”

‘The Maritimes’

Edition 5, March 2004 Contents Trevor Hanson Report................ 2 Phil Adams Report..................... 3 News.................................... 4 Self-Loading on ships................. 8 Union History ......................... 10 ITF Women’s Conference............ 12 Manila ITF Week of Action........... 14 Mainland Watch....................... 14 National Campaign Report........... 15 The Maritime Industry in crisis...... 16 Crane collapses........................ 18 Joe Fleetwood Report................ 20 Port Roundups......................... 21 Letters.................................. 30 Union clothing......................... 31 Union Contacts........................ 31 The Back Page......................... 32 ‘The Maritimes’ is the official national magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand, published quarterly.

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 Edited and designed by Victor Billot Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz Editorial Board: Trevor Hanson and Phil Adams Thanks to the photographers including Harry Holland, Shane Parker, Garry Parsloe, Phil Adams, Phil Spanswick and others unnamed.

Thanks to the Maritime Union of Australia, ITF and ‘Transport International’ for material.

Cover photo: A collapsed crane on board the ‘Maritime Friendship’, Port Chalmers, November 2003 (photo by Victor Billot)

Turn to pages 15-19 for the Maritimes National Campaign Special Feature

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Maritime industry awaits Government call on cabotage A Government decision on regulation of foreign shipping off the New Zealand coast is expected at any time.

The Maritime Union led a campaign in 2003 for the restoration of cabotage, where New Zealand shipping is given priority on domestic coastal shipping routes.

The Government’s own Transport Strategy aims to provide an “affordable, safe, integrated and sustainable transport system” by 2010.

The Maritime Union cabotage campaign called for the repeal of Section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act and strengthening of coastal cabotage.

There has been no move so far on the Government’s Shipping Review of 2000, despite calls from both business and unions for action to prevent the further decline of New Zealand shipping.

The issue has generated some political debate, with some bosses’ groups attacking cabotage as ‘inefficient.’

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson responded by stating “New Zealand shipping companies working with New Zealand crews under New Zealand employment agreements could not and should not have to compete with floating sweatshops.”

The New Zealand shipping industry also rejected the claims.

Mr Hanson says cabotage would have a range of long term benefits for workers and New Zealand.

Cabotage would boost domestic industry, ensure New Zealand jobs, and minimize the exploitation of Third World seafarers in New Zealand waters.

In December 2003, debate again raged after Green MP Rod Donald attacked what he said was a lack of action by the Government on the issue.

New Zealand First deputy leader Peter Brown raised the idea of a tax on foreign shipping, and ACT MP Deborah Coddington attacked the Maritime Union for its ‘antiquated views’ on the cabotage issue.

The Maritime Union responded to these claims by pointing out Ms Coddington’s lack of knowledge of the transport and maritime industries.

Pacifica pulls plug on ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ – job losses New Zealand shippers Pacifica withdrew the 4500-tonne ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ from service at the end of 2003, resulting in the loss of thirty two jobs.

The move follows on the heels of the removal of Pacifica’s ‘Spirit of Vision’ in May 2003.

The move leaves only two coastal freighters remaining in the Pacifica fleet.

A major reason given by the company for the withdrawal of Spirit of Enterprise was the pressure from international transit ships moving cargo at cut price rates.

The move means Dunedin and Tauranga are no longer serviced by Pacifica.

Of the two remaining vessels, the ‘Spirit of Competition’ links Lyttelton and Wellington overnight, and the ‘Spirit of Resolution’ provides a weekend Auckland-Lyttelton service and mid-week return via Nelson.

The Maritime Union says there is a simple explanation for the competitive rates of overseas Flag of Convenience shippers – conditions and wages of Third World crews on flag of convenience ships are appalling, with abuse, unsafe practices and exploitation the norm for many crews.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says “As every year goes by, the New Zealand shipping industry

is being killed off – and with the lack of action, we have to say it is being deliberately killed off.”

“No other industry in New Zealand has to tolerate exploited foreign labour employed at pay rates as low as $2 per hour – we have basically got a system of serfdom on the high seas going on off the New Zealand coast.”

Maritime Union Auckland Seafarers Branch Secretary Garry Parsloe says “Overseas owned flag of convenience ships pick up cargo between New Zealand ports, and as they have to make the journey anyway to pick up international cargo, they can do it at cut price rates.”

The Maritime Union has campaigned hard in the last year for cabotage, where New Zealand ships are given priority on New Zealand domestic shipping routes.

“Unless the Government acts to support this vital industry immediately, we are going to be a country dependant on seaborne trade that has no merchant fleet and no New Zealand seafarers,” says Mr Hanson.

The disappearance of the New Zealand shipping industry could have massive implications for our exports in an unstable and unpredictable global environment.

The ‘Spirit of Enterprise’: withdrawn at the end of 2003, a victim of Government inaction

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Wharfies nab nasties in waterfront bug patrols New Zealand’s biosecurity remains in the public spotlight as Government strategies come under scrutiny and insect invasions make headlines.

The new biosecurity system came into effect at the start of the year.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has introduced new standards and are training waterfront workers throughout New Zealand to check low risk containers.

The Maritime Union has already investigated concerns from members about conflicting advice received in different ports.

Workers were concerned that they would be held responsible for any incidents where biosecurity risks such as insects got through checks.

However, Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson has confirmed with MAF that individual workers will not be liable for any biosecurity incidents.

Mr Hanson says the Union is interested to see how some aspects of the system will work, such as the planned six-sided inspection of ‘high risk’ containers.

“Presumably someone will have to look under the container – and unless that container is put on a purpose made structure, we will be directing our members not to put themselves at risk.”

The Sunday Star Times reported teething troubles with the checking systems in January, with delays and a training backlog.

Untrained checkers have been given special MAF permission to search containers while training is carried out.

However, a number of pests have been uncovered including redback spiders, yellow and black crazy ants, Giant African snails and exotic wasps.

A new electronic system will be introduced this year to replace the current paper based system for managing the inspection of the 500 000 containers entering New Zealand annually.

In one recent incident, vigilant wharfies apprehended a large exotic spider at the Bledisloe terminal on the Auckland waterfront on 23 January, after a keen-eyed crane driver saw it crawling about on top of a container.

Maritime Union Auckland Branch Local 13 Secretary Russell Mayn says the spider was described by the wharfies who contained it as around three or more inches long.

He says MAF officials who inspected the spider identified it as a harmless “banana spider.”

Trevor Hanson says the incident shows how tight border controls and strong waterfront regulation are necessary for both biosecurity and worker safety.

“Incidents like this highlight how there are many less dramatic looking exotic pests out there which could destroy New Zealand’s primary industries if they make it off the wharf.”

Mr Hanson says he is concerned that “fly by night” stevedoring companies that have sprung up around New Zealand may not be treating biosecurity threats seriously enough.

“The Maritime Union has worked with MAF to educate and inform our members about the need to ‘see, contain and report’ possible biosecurity threats.”

“I can’t imagine the deunionized, casualized workforces of some New Zealand stevedores will have any encouragement whatsoever in holding up a job for a bug, if this is going to affect their employers’ profit margin.”

Website: www.protectnz.org.nz

‘The Maritimes’ is the official magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

All correspondence to: ‘The Maritimes’, PO Box 27004, Wellington, New Zealand.

Email victor.billot@munz.org.nz Deadline for all Port reports, submissions, photos and letters: 11 April 2004

News briefs

SouthPort fined in Tai Ping court case

SouthPort has admitted that it had no procedures in place for blind piloting when the bulk carrier Tai Ping grounded in Bluff Harbour in October 2002.

The company was fined $7500 at the Invercargill District Court on 28 January 2004 after it admitted it provided piloted services and tug assistance in a manner likely to cause danger or risk on the night of the grounding.

The pilot of the tug was fined $750 for failing to ensure a vessel was navigated in accordance with Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) regulations.

The 16 000 tonne Tai Ping was grounded for nine days after it hit rocks in thick fog in the early hours of 8 October 2002.

MSA prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said although fog was to blame for the grounding, deficiencies in SouthPort’s training and planning caused unnecessary risk or danger to shipping within the port.

For whom the bell Tolls – Aussie invasion continues Australian-owned Toll Holdings has increased its ownership of New Zealand transport business after subsidiary Toll Logistics (NZ) Ltd acquired Auckland stevedores Leonard and Dingley in January 2004.

The purchase includes Leonard and Dingley’s 50% stake in the Auckland Stevedoring Company Ltd., which is 50% owned by the Maritime Union Auckland Branch Local 13.

Maritime Union Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says Toll is an unknown quantity due to its recent arrival in New Zealand, but he hoped there would be a good relationship with the company Toll adds this purchase to its operations in the ports of Tauranga, Napier and Lyttelton which it bought off BHP in 2002.

In 2003, Toll purchased national rail operator TranzRail.

The Maritime Union has kept a close eye on the Aussie-based transnational corporate, working with Australian unions.

Auckland Branch Local 13 Vice President Dave Phillips attended a January 2004 union conference on dealing with Toll in Australia, as well as visiting ports where Toll undertake stevedoring work.

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Holidays and leave entitlements boosted Workers will get more holidays and leave entitlements under new laws.

The new Holidays Act was passed

by Parliament on 16 December 2003, with the changes coming into effect on 1 April 2004.

A minimum of 4 weeks annual holiday will become available, but not until 2007.

Laws provide new minimums Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the new laws provide a minimum for workers.

“The new law says workers must be paid time and a half for work on public holidays, but most Maritime Union members have already obtained better terms than this – we need to make sure we maintain better than minimum conditions.”

Mr Hanson says one positive development recently occurred at Napier.

“Branch organizer Bill Connelly has managed to get time and a half for casuals working on a public holiday, plus a lieu day, through mediation.”

The Maritime Union is currently negotiating for similar conditions with Toll in Mount Maunganui, Lyttelton and Auckland.

Taking of annual holidays The new law says an employer must allow an employee to take annual holidays within 12 months after the date on which the employee’s entitlement arose.

Holidays are to be taken by agreement between employer and employee, but an employer may require an employee to take holidays if an agreement cannot be reached.

The employer must give 14 days notice of the requirement to take annual holidays.

Sick and bereavement leave Five days minimum sick pay will now be able to be accumulated from year to year up to a maximum of 20 days.

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Casuals and part-time employees are catered for under this law if they have, in the past six months, worked no less than an average of ten hours a week, no less than one hour every week, or no less than forty hours in every month.

The law says employers may allow employees taking annual holidays to take sick leave (but this is not compulsory.)

However, an employer must allow an employee taking annual leave to take bereavement leave.

If before taking holidays, the employee becomes sick or suffers a bereavement, the employer must allow the employee to take any period of sickness or bereavement that the employee would have taken as holidays.

Bereavement leave is set at a minimum of three days leave on the death of the employees’ spouse, parent, child, brother or sister, grandparent or grandchild or spouses’ parent.

One day’s leave can be granted, on agreement of the employer, for a bereavement where the employee has a close association with the deceased person, has to arrange ceremonies, or has cultural responsibilities.

Alternative holidays for casuals The Maritime Union has taken the stand that under the new law, regular casuals with a pattern of work are entitled to a lieu day if they work on a public holiday.

This is no different from what applies now to our permanent members.

Gains for working people “The improvements in the new Holidays Act are clear examples of gains won by the union movement which benefit all New Zealanders,” says Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson.

“The Holidays Act changes set a fairer minimum standard for society and will help workers get more balance in their lives and meet their family and community responsibilities.”

[Trevor Hanson report continued from page 2]

hazards flying Flags of Convenience coming into our ports.

Crane incidents and worker safety We have seen several crane mishaps in recent months, in Auckland, Wellington, Port Chalmers and most recently Bluff.

The last two incidents have received major coverage in the media which has provided us with some muscle in getting progress.

The good work of local branches and pressure from our national Union seems to be getting traction with agencies such as the Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), as well as the Government.

The MSA has requested a top level meeting with the Maritime Union on the increasing problems in this area, to work on a plan to increase worker safety.

The Union is also asking to meet with the Government in order to get action on this unacceptable situation.

Ever since Port Reform in the late eighties, the Union has been warning about this type of problem, and unfortunately it has taken a series of accidents to get some progress.

We have been lucky so far with a lack of serious injury, but we need to ‘make our own luck’ on this problem, and get the screws tightened down on Flag of Convenience ships and the dangerously shoddy equipment that many of them carry.

This issue ties in very closely with the seafarers’ cabotage campaign.

International solidarity the key Like so many of the other struggles of our Union, this issue is an international one, with similar problems faced by maritime workers internationally.

This edition of the Maritimes features an article about the European Dockers’ victory in their long drawn out battle to stop ‘Self Loading’, where ships’ crews load and unload cargo.

To combat these international trends, workers need an international response.

Just as some employers will attempt to play workers off against each other within New Zealand ports, the same rule applies on a global scale.

Ports engage in cutthroat competition, as do nations – but at the end of the day, working people have common goals and interests wherever they are.

The Waterfront Workers’ and Seafarers’ Unions of New Zealand always had an international outlook, and the Maritime Union of New Zealand continues in this tradition.

Aussie Maritime Unions Find ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’

By Dean Summers ITF Australia Speaking to a resolution to the transport section at the Australian Labor Party national conference held in Sydney in February, Keith McCorriston of the Maritime Union of Australia announced that the Maritime Unions in Australia had discovered ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ in the hands of unidentified foreign powers in Australian ports.

In a speech written to highlight the plight of Australian shipping under the Howard govern-ments abuse of the coastal permit system, Mr. McCorriston used the example of the flag of convenience vessel, “Henry Oldendorf”.

Up until very recently the Australian fertiliser trade was carried around the coast on secure Australian ships using highly trained Australian crews.

The three maritime unions now say that the mixture of cheap ships, multinational crews, unidentifiable ship-owners and gaping holes in maritime security is a dangerous cocktail presenting imminent danger.

In a now common case like the “Henry Oldendorf” the danger is heightened even more. She was given an SVP (single voyage permit) from the federal government at little notice to carry fertiliser around the Australian coast.

The Flag of Convenience system provides ship-owners with an impenetrable veil of secrecy to protect their identities and sources the cheapest workers in the world, in this case from seven different nations.

“Ships like this are now entrusted with one of the most dangerous domestic cargos, tens of thousands of tonnes of fertiliser on top of thousands of litres of diesel fuel must be a true WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION visiting major Australian ports daily.

The wholesale abuse of the single voyage permit system coupled with the irrational attack on Australian shipping has seen the introduction of cheap Flag of Convenience ships and crews at the expense of local jobs and national security.

A six point resolution unanimously endorsed at the national conference of the Australian Labor Party commits to redevelopment of a viable shipping industry and to a full review of the permit system which transport unions say has been eroding Australian jobs and security over the last eight years under the Howard regime.

The resolution also calls for the consideration of the introduction of a tonnage tax to encourage Australian investment in shipping and supports the ITF’s call for a genuine link between all ships and their flag state to exist as a means to combating abuses under the flag of convenience system.

Historically the worst industrial accident was in the US when the French flagged cargo ship “Grandcamp” carrying fertiliser exploded in Texas City harbour killing more than six hundred people and destroying the city and adjacent industrial complexes.

More recently fertiliser has been the weapon of choice for terrorists in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings, 1995 Oklahoma bombings, and the 2002 Bali bombings.

A string of local incidents involving explosions using fertiliser has generated a public call for tighter restriction on the bulk sale of it but at the same time the responsibility to take it into our cities has been taken away from the Australian transport industry and given to the lowest bidders in the world.

Web Watch

A new maritime industry website has started up in Nelson, and will feature regular contributions from the Maritime Union: http://www.portfocus.co.nz Historian and librarian David Verran has an interesting website on Union history that includes material on the Seafarers and Waterfront Unions at: http://www.geocities.com/nzhistory/ The Campaign against Foreign Control of Aotearoa have been big supporters of our cabotage campaign: http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/ community/CAFCA/ The New South Wales unions in Australia sponsor this excellent website that tracks the big corporates and all the stuff they don’t want you to hear – it also features NZ companies with Australian involvement: http://bosswatch.labor.net.au/ Unions are campaigning internationally for workers’ rights in Third World sweatshops, to stop the exploitation behind the name brands that we buy: http://www.behindthelabel.org For news that isn’t from the corporate media and their pro-big business bias, you can look up New Zealand’s own alternative news source at: http://www.indymedia.org.nz International trade union news and views at: http://www.labourstart.org If members have any websites they would like to recommend, email the editor at victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Website: www.mua.org.au

We want your ideas!

The Maritimes welcomes contributions from members around New Zealand.

Letters, articles and photos can be sent in – they can be about on the job topics, personal interests, sport, history, politics, social events, in fact anything you like.

Please send to: ‘The Maritimes’, PO Box 27004, Wellington, New Zealand or email victor.billot@munz.org.nz or fax 03 4822 179 or phone 021 171 0911 7

Deregulation of European ports thrown out – victory for dockers Portworkers won a major battle in November 2003 when the European Parliament voted against law changes that would have undermined secure, permanent jobs on the waterfront.

The changes would have permitted “self-loading” where ships’ crews would have done waterfront workers’ work – a tactic that has recently been seen in New Zealand ports.

Other threats to the European workers include union-busting by employers and casualization.

229 members of the European Parliament voted against the ‘ports directive’, while 209 voted in favour.

The vote represented a defeat for right-wing Governments, port authorities, shippers and shipping lines trying to squeeze more profits out of the maritime industry at the expense of workers.

Not all Governments offered their support to the changes with Sweden and Belgium opposing the ‘ports directive.’

Dockers organized internationally to defend workers’ rights through unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

“Never before has a directive been rejected as a result of workers’ actions, including demonstrations and strikes, organised by national and international trade unions,” says ITF Dockers’ Secretary Kees Marges.

“Port workers in the European Union, supported by those outside the EU and even outside Europe, have proved that the future of trade union work lies in the international cooperation of trade unions, based on the selfinterest of workers and their international solidarity.”

Agreement was reached on 29 September 2003, the same day that European dockers protested against the directive in one of the biggest ever international port workers’ demonstrations, involving 9000 workers, in Rotterdam.

Port workers across Europe had already been campaigning against the directive for three years.

Dockers’ unions in Europe lobbied the European Parliament and organised demonstrations in Brussels, Antwerp and Strasbourg.

Workers feared they would face job cuts, worsening conditions and compromises on safety, as unqualified nonunion labour became the norm on the waterfront.

Strong and united campaigning by trade unions, workers and critics within the industry finally brought about the collapse of the reform package.

Marges said, “The EU directive sought to formalise the growing casualization and deskilling that is a creeping menace elsewhere in the world . . . we have achieved a crucial victory, but this is only part of a continuing battle.”

Indications are strong that the European Commission is now looking for other ways to ‘liberalise’ the European ports, possibly via the World Trade Organisation.

“To prepare for the next battle in what will be a global waterfront war we have decided to merge the existing ITF campaigns against unionbusting and cargohandling by seafarers (self-loading),” said Marges.

“We need a single campaign against ports of convenience, which offer their services for the convenience of shippers and shipping lines, and at the expense of workers, civil society and the environment.”

Reprinted from Transport International, quarterly magazine of the ITF Website: www.itf.org.uk

ITF Measures to defend waterfront jobs and stop port deregulation • Stepping up the anti-’union busting’ campaign against anti-union employment practices and ship owners switching

to non-unionized terminals • Continuing the campaign to keep port work for port workers (leave it to the professionals, it’s our work.)

• Encouraging unions to monitor unregulated cargo handling activities in ports and onboard ships

• Challenging contract violations on board vessels with an ITF agreement – cargo handling by seafarers would amount to

a breach of the agreement • Pressing for improved professional training of port workers, to increase the quality of cargo handling services and thus

the competitiveness of a port • Campaigning against casualization

• Lobbying for the maintenance of safety standards

8•

Assisting and supporting affiliates in their efforts to secure collective bargaining rights for port workers

Shipping company backs down over self-loading The Maritime Union achieved an important victory in January after a ship inspection revealed changes to an official ITF agreement for the Filipino crew.

An ‘additional clause’ had been added that reduced rates of pay, downgraded crew conditions, and stated that crew could perform dockers’ work as requested by the Master without extra compensation.

The ANL Progress was inspected in Wellington on 30 December 2003 by Maritime Union Vice President and ITF Inspector Joe Fleetwood who first discovered the discrepancies.

The ANL Progress is chartered by the Australia National Line (ANL) and trades trans-Tasman, visiting four New Zealand ports and three Australian ports.

The ship is German-owned and flagged under the German “2nd register” that is regarded by the ITF as a flag of convenience.

The Filipino crew were covered by an ITF agreement, but had signed an “addendum to the contract.”

In the addendum crew members were subject to a “Philippine Overseas Employment Administration” (POEA) contract.

One clause reads: “We further declare that the cleaning of hatches and tanks, lashing of containers and all other kinds of cargo, including but not limited to the setting of stocking cones, twist locks, bridge fittings and other lashing material as well as other stevedore works as requested by the Master shall be considered as normal without any extra compensation.”

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says attempts by shipping companies to introduce “self-loading” by crews was not unexpected.

“If this practice is permitted in New Zealand ports, it will mean that waterfront work as well as shipping will be done by Third World crews working under Third World terms and conditions.”

ITF New Zealand co-ordinator Kathy Whelan contacted the German maritime

union who had put together the original ITF contract.

The German union confirmed the original, unaltered contract included the ITF dockworkers’ clause which spells out the crew will not be asked to perform dockworkers’ work without the agreement of ITF-affiliated unions in any port.

Maritime Union branches in ports around New Zealand contacted the shipping company ANL warning that action would be taken if crew members were made to do waterfront workers’ jobs.

The Maritime Union contacted our sister union the MUA in Australia, as well as approaching the Maritime Safety Authority and the Government.

The quick response of the Union to the problem had a good result.

The Lydia Mar shipping company of Greece contacted Kathy Whelan and said the addendum had been ‘cancelled retrospectively from the date of its issuance’ in order to comply with New Zealand labour law.

So ends an attempt to introduce selfloading in New Zealand ports.

The future of jobs on the New Zealand waterfront is dependant on all Maritime Union members remaining vigilant.

Any attempt to use crews to do waterfront work needs to be immediately challenged and the Union branch officials and National Office promptly informed.

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Historical Port Chalmers a ‘union town’

By Bruce Malcolm, Former President, Waterfront Workers’ Union

Letter from the Port Chalmers Lumpers Union Secretary F.W. Driver, July 1884

Port Chalmers is one of the oldest ports in New Zealand with a rich history especially with the maritime unions.

We are fortunate to have a number of historical records in the form of commemorative plaques and preserved documents in the port.

I have provided some notes to accompany photographs of the more interesting items to be found around town.

The first letter (picture 1) basically announces the formation of the Port Chalmers Lumpers Union in July 1884.

The Lumpers Union was the forerunner of the waterfront union.

This letter is displayed in the Port Chalmers ‘Bureau Hall’ which remains the venue for Maritime Union stopwork meetings, social gatherings and the branch office.

The second document (picture 2) is a copy of a letter dated 7 April 1951.

It was sent to all locked-out watersiders by the then Minister of Labour W. Sullivan in the National Government of Sid Holland.

It asks members of the deregistered Waterfront Union to sign up individually to the Bureau in order to be considered for employment on the wharf.

“If the attached application card is not returned within one week, it will be assumed you do not desire to work on the waterfront” reads the last sentence.

All loyal past members will well recall what happened to that letter when received.

One plaque (picture 4) commemorates the centennial of the New Zealand Seaman’s Union (1879-1979).

The Seaman’s Union was formed and held their first meeting at the Port Chalmers Hotel, now known as the Tunnel Hotel to many.

The Seaman’s Union, now part of the Maritime Union, would be coming up to its 125th anniversary in 2004.

The second plaque (picture 5) is in the memory of those Merchant Navy seamen who gave their lives in the struggle against fascism during the Second World War. It was made available by the generosity of the Port Chalmers Branch of the Waterfront Workers’ Union and Port Otago.

The third plaque (picture 3) is one that the local branch of the Waterfront Workers’ Union asked me to draft for the 50th anniversary of the 1951 lockout.

I was assisted by the late Ted Thompson with this venture and after plenty of communication between us we came up with the wording you see today.

We had the plaque made locally by John Swan Limited who made a fantastic job of it.

I believe there are plenty of historical items from all ports that could be brought forward into the Maritimes.

Past national executive members such as Ray Fergus, Jim Milnes, Jim Hewitt etc. could commence a golden oldies page that would no doubt create great interest.

I hope that Port Chalmers has started things rolling with this union history (we certainly have many nice looking retired watersiders and seafarers down here – one of whom, Jock ‘The Voice’ Stoddart, sends his best wishes to all past friends in the Seamen’s Union.)

(2) Bill Sullivan’s infamous letter

(3) “The Union is our Strength” – Port Chalmers Dunedin Branch Waterfront Workers’ Union 1951 Lockout commemorative plaque

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(4) “A Century of Struggle” – Port Chalmers Seamen’s Union Centennial Plaque

(5) Merchant Navy Memorial for those who gave their lives in World War Two

1913: Maritime Unions battle the State

by James Taylor On 22 October 1913, the Wellington branch of the Watersiders’ Union (WWU) held a stop-work meeting to consider support for shipwrights in a dispute with the Union Shipping Company.

The employers took this to be a breach of the industrial agreement that had been signed in 1912, locked out the 1600 members of the WWU, and began to recruit scab labour.

The minor dispute over a travelling allowance spread quickly.

In the atmosphere of hostility and distrust between unionists and the ‘protein farming class’ following the Waihi strike, major ports throughout the country were paralysed when union members stopped work from October to December of 1913.

Coming at the beginning of a period of New Zealand history characterized by social conflict, the ‘Great Strike’ exploded into scenes of rioting, violence, and rhetorical zeal not seen since the land wars, and rarely seen after in New Zealand history.

In Wellington and Auckland there were major confrontations between, on one side, special constables and police, and on the other, unionists and pro-strike members of the public, with numerous injuries.

Wellington, where the dispute began, was also the scene of most of the action.

On 24 October the dispute assumed a “graver aspect”.

Following the use of free labour to unload ships in the port, and also due to sheer frustration, around 1500 unionists charged the lightly guarded gates at Kings Wharf and rushed the Difender and the Navua, undertaking searches for strikebreakers.

Harbour Board officials decided to put up a nine-foot high barrier, which was demolished and tossed into the harbour by furious unionists – just as carpenters were completing it.

Following the appearance of police reinforcements the crowds dispersed.

Negotiations had broken down between the union and employers, and the chaos at the wharf convinced the employers to cease handling goods at the harbour until there was sufficient police protection: the key economic link between New Zealand and the rest of

the world had been broken.

As The Evening Post observed “the demeanour of the strike had completely changed”.

The watersiders were no longer solely an irritant to the country’s industrial harmony, but instead were castigated as a threat to the law and order of the nation, and portrayed by conservative newspapers as being out of control and engaging in “terrorism at the wharves” and “mob rule.”

On 26 October, after again rushing a number of ships at the wharves, more than one thousand unionists marched to the Basin Reserve and, as outnumbered police watched, tore down the gates to hold a protest meeting after the Mayor’s office had declined the use of the ground.

The state’s use of coercive force intensified when Justice Minister Alexander Herdman decided to enrol special constables from rural areas, secretly recruited by the army, in order to “assist police in suppressing strikers.”

Far from quelling disorder the appearance of these “law and order men” inflamed the conflict and from October 30 to November 8 there were extraordinary scenes in Wellington.

October 30 began with an attack on specials, led to threats of reading the Riot Act and to the marching of imperial seamen from the HMS Psyche to disperse unionists from the waterfront.

Later in the day after foot specials had been sworn in at the Wellington town hall ‘some swaggering and long baton-swinging’ led to an unfortunate special being chased by a number of unionists into a bookshop in Lambton Quay.

The special and a regular police officer who had come to his aid were saved from the crowd by armed staff.

This was followed by rioting and the destruction of property on Lambton Quay, the likes of which had “never been witnessed in Wellington before.”

Further chaos occurred when mounted men charged a crowd, injuring a number of unionists and bystanders.

On October 31 a large group of people made their way up to the Mount Cook Barracks, where the specials were stationed, to be met with rifle-bearing artillery men and two machine guns.

More riotous scenes followed on November 3 when around 2000 people attacked specials – the infamous ‘Battle of Buckle Street’.

The police responded by hosing the crowd, and specials followed with a mounted charge.

In the confusion shots were fired and a number of people were seriously injured.

More violent confrontations occurred from November to early December, but the strike was virtually defeated on November 5 following the use of specials to accompany and load 800 racehorses to be shipped to the South Island.

The port resumed operations, albeit on a smaller than usual scale, with the use of replacement labour which was readily available at the time.

Although a general strike was called, the arrest of prominent members of the Federation of Labour (FOL) leadership on charges of sedition and breach of the peace meant the “brief day of the FOL was over”.

Most of the Ports around the country were reopened by November 18 but the strike dragged on, finally collapsing on December 19.

The “power of the Red Feds to evil” had been extinguished, the FOL had been crushed, arbitration unions set up and the majority of the militant union leadership had been jailed.

As the Dominion remarked, New Zealand had indeed been proven a “battleground, not a laboratory of Democracy”.

Most historians agree that the ‘Great Strike’ saw New Zealand come “closer to class war” than any other time in this country’s past.

Yet there has been surprisingly little attention paid to the significance of the strike until fairly recently.

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by Jackie Lyall and Rachael Goddard On 12–13 September 2003, we attended the ITF Asia Pacific Regional Women’s Conference 2003 in Singapore, on behalf of the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

This conference of women in the transport unions confronted the issues women workers in our industry face.

We found common ground, and we learnt that some so-called developing countries in our region have overcome the issues that are still facing countries such as New Zealand and Australia.

Many of the positive changes in developing countries have come from women involved in Trade Unions.

The New Zealand delegates presented our country report, and addressed the conference on the state of our industry since the removal of cabotage in the 1990s.

We spoke on the importance of a women’s structure in our union to break down the isolation of women members and give us a voice to address issues.

We said how education for our Maritime Union women members is an important part of building a future for our maritime communities and families.

The cabotage issue was raised as very important for our industry.

Currently there seems to be no vision for the future of our industry, with its domination by transnational corporations, and a lack of Government action on the issue.

Most of the women in attendance were in unions which already have womens’ structures established in their unions, which allowed them the ability to deal with issues and problems.

The most important challenges faced are equality in the workforce and women having a voice in union decision-making.

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We were treated extremely well during our stay by the women of the National Transport Workers’ Union of Singapore.

We received kind mementoes from Taiwanese, Singaporean and various other unions (including calendars and drinking thermos flasks which they give to members of their unions.)

It would have been nice to present a gift from the Maritime Union in return, and we felt that is something that we could work on in the future.

We felt the two day conference was very informative, but felt being able to do the workshops other women had done prior to the seminar would have been extremely beneficial.

National reports The New Zealand country report

Work-life balance, maternity leave and men’s responsibilities were other family issues she discussed.

In Singapore there is the basic right for equality of both sexes.

Retirement age is 62, the same for men and women in Singapore.

The Union will take up any cases of discrimination.

53.4% of working age women were ‘economically active’ in 2002, an increase of 38% since 1990.

Reasons for this increase include greater educational and training opportunities, a small labour force, and until recently, a tight labour market, and encouragement by unions and government.

The Government and Unions have an active role in promoting affordable child-care centres.

The Unions operate 31 childcare centres and government provides $100/month/child.

Malaysia

was featured in the December 2003 issue of the Maritimes.

We have included some notes here from reports by women members from a selection of Asian and Pacific nations.

Singapore Ms Irene Ng Mo spoke on the lack of educational opportunities for women in Singapore.

Women in Singapore have not had the opportunities for further training and the market does not provide for this.

She talked on trade unions having a role to play in changing this situation.

In Malaysia 60 days paid maternity leave is enjoyed by the public and private sector of women workers.

Efforts are under way to obtain 14 days paid paternity leave for husbands of women who have delivered babies.

A separate Ministry for Women and family development, headed by a woman minister, has been established to look after women’s affairs in Malaysia.

In the transport industry, women workers have by law equal pay and benefits to their male counterparts.

Thailand Sexual discrimination is the biggest problem facing Thai women in the workplace, because of the traditional masculine values of Thai society.

These attitudes lead to womens’ inferior status to men.

Women’s roles in the Thai transport industry are still restricted to administrative jobs.

Women are frequently hindered from becoming leaders in organizations.

Research has shown 90% of women transport workers lack an understanding of their basic rights.

The HIV-Aids problem is one of the most significant problems in Thailand, particularly in the working class where HIV-Aids has been spreading widely.

Women workers are at the highest risk of being infected.

To solve these problems of women workers, the women’s section of the ITF Thailand has been cooperating with other women’s organizations in an attempt to strengthen women’s rights.

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has safety problems in their rail and bus services, their main mode of transport.

The government-run buses are overcrowded and poorly maintained, and due to overloading, accidents are very common.

The buses provided by private bus companies are a lot safer but the cost of travel is nearly three times that of the government service.

Women’s participation in the transport sector is relatively poor.

As in other countries women are working hard to improve their status and take part in decision making.

Fiji Despite reported economic growth in Fiji, women are still very much affected by its national development policies and globalization.

The poverty level has increased significantly.

A recent study based on the 1996 census showed that 48.8% of those in full time employment earned wages below the poverty line.

In this group, 67% were women and 32% were men.

Women’s jobs in Fiji can be characterized as predominantly low skilled, low paid and low quality in a limited range of occupations at the lower rungs of the employment ladder.

Papua New Guinea The PNG Maritime Workers Union has a membership of 4000, of whom only 10% are women.

In 2001 Mary T. Piafu was elected onto the Union executive.

Previously women in the union did not play a very active part in taking on women’s issues and addressing them at union level.

In the last election, Mary Piafu lost the election against 14 male candidates which once again leaves women without a voice. Many women in PNG unions do not fully understand the role of unions and also their roles as members.

Many women are afraid to join the union for fear their employer may victimize them and they may also lose out on their other entitlements.

Culturally, women still feel they should remain submissive to men.

It is hard for women in PNG to take an active part in the union, they haven’t got the confidence and there is no network set up to support one another.

Indonesia Women in Indonesia are “second class people” in terms of work, especially at sea. Even after finishing their study, finding a job onboard is still difficult.

Women seafarers are treated differently to men, suffering pay discrimination despite holding important positions onboard. In March 2002 all women transport workers participated in International Women Day with campaigns and rallies.

A large banner was held up outside the Minister of Transport’s office, demanding “give Indonesian women equal pay and equal rights in the workplace.”

Although there was some feedback from the Government, nothing has yet changed.

Philippines Women in the Philippines have strengthened women’s participation in unions by holding a two day intensive seminar at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Bataan.

The aim was to create awareness amongst women transport workers about their basic rights and to identify issues facing women workers in the Philippines today.

Participants developed their networking skills, which they will use to provide mutual support and exchange of information among participating unions.

The women planned activities to attract more members and increase women’s participation in unions.

Discussions showed the problems of Filipina women were similar to those of other Asian countries.

These included violence and sexual harassment, discrimination, health and safety, and women’s basic rights such as maternity leave.

Participants were highly concerned with the plight of Filipinas working in other countries, and Government action to protect these workers against violence and sexual assault from their employers.

Building women’s involvement The main concerns of the Conference were equality in the workplace, a voice in decision making, sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace and women being made aware of the importance of being in a union and taking an active part.

We would like to thank the Maritime Union for giving us the opportunity to make connections with other women in the transport industry.

In order to build a future for women in our Union, we need to have the support of the membership for further education of other women in the union.

The National Conference in October 2003 saw the Union endorse a remit from the Wellington Seafarers branch calling for the establishment of a national women’s committee.

This committee will meet annually to forward issues relevant to the Union, and will represent the Maritime Union on the women’s council of the CTU. As Mary from Papua New Guinea said at the end of her country report: “I believe having a voice for women, will in the long run, motivate women members to participate actively in unions . . . [and] realize our fight for a better world.”

Kia Kaha – Pa Tahi Pa Katoa Touch One Touch All Yours in Unity and Solidarity

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Manila Week of Action: Asia Pacific solidarity

by Maritime Union Vice President Joe Fleetwood 0296 The ITF Manila week of action was opened by Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines President Captain Gregorios Oca. I addressed the Conference with a brief report on the Maritime Union of New Zealand and our successful amalgamation.

During the Conference I met with joint Filipino-Norwegian Maritime Union Administrative Officer Ramon Phipolito, as well as local dockers’ president Bobby Oca of the Associated Workers’ Union, and other officials and dock workers.

ITF Inspector Rod Aguinaldo gave us a run down on the week of action ahead of us.

Rod works closely with local stewards and seafarers, with whom he has built a strong bond of trust.

On Monday afternoon we commenced our first inspection on board a Panamanian-flagged vessel, which had a full Chinese crew.

Surprisingly enough, the ship was quite clean, but the captain refused any access to paperwork.

We were not allowed to talk to any of the crew except for the chief officer because there was ‘no problem.’

Wednesday morning we met at the local steward’s office for a rally, where we were met by a small army of about 40 dockworkers and officials.

Together we marched down the wharf in unity towards the tied up flagof-convienience ships, to much cheering and chanting.

Our international group condemned these ships of shame that have little or no consideration for the environment or the workers onboard.

The demonstration was a great show of Trade Unionism, with rank and file and officials, seafarers and wharfies working together for each other, promoting the ITF Asian Week of Action and World Maritime Day.

I accompanied Rod and his capable inspection team on board many ships during the Week of Action in the port of Manila.

We inspected many different flagged ships, Panamanian, Maltese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino, Bahamian, and Cypriot.

We registered many complaints and gave work orders to most captains for allowing the ships’ owners to get away with disgusting (in some cases horrifying) sub-standard conditions for many months, and sometimes years.

Inspector Rod Aguinaldo will complete follow up inspections the next time these ‘ships of shame’ are in the port of Manila – there is no place to hide from our ITF campaign.

Two potential back payment claims are under investigation by Rod, both of which should be covered by ITF TCC agreements.

The crews were obviously living in fear because the only thing they could say was ‘No problems, very happy’, which raises and strengthens the question of double-bookkeeping.

To me the Manila Week of Action was a success, and the ITF are lucky to have good men like Rod Aguinaldo and other inspectors battling for seafarers’ wages and conditions on board ships of shame (and sometimes ships of death.)

The trip was a valuable experience and another direct look at true poverty, making me realize how lucky we are on our side of the world.

I encourage others who have the chance to take advantage and participate in any future ITF courses.

Thank you to the ITF, and the Seafarers and Dockers’ Unions of the Philippines, for making me feel so welcome in their country.

To all dock stewards who participated in ship inspections, you are true comrades, and defenders of the working class struggle.

Kia Kaha, Tatau tatau (Be strong, we are all one)

Mainland Watch Recently spotted lurking around southern ports: the Mainland Rat (Rattus Mainlandus).

The Maritime Union continues to resist Mainland Stevedoring attempts to casualize workforces and introduce their anti-union practices.

Recent sightings of this “industry pariah”: Sighting #1 A large article written by Mainland manager Jim McDougall appeared in the Otago Daily Times on 3 January 2004 claiming that Mainland would be the biggest stevedore in the South Island within five years.

Pest control measure: Local Maritime Union members responded with a number of letters to the Otago Daily Times, some of which we have reprinted in the letters section of this Maritimes.

Port Chalmers Branch Secretary Phil Adams says a number of local people have offered their support to the Union in our cause.

Sighting #2 Mainland employees have reappeared in SouthPort (Bluff), travelling inside the infamous ‘rat cage’ so as not to expose their whiskers or tails to local workers and supporters.

Pest control measures: Bluff watersiders began picketing at around 11am on 18 December against Mainland Stevedores who arrived in SouthPort to work on the log boat “Amber Wave.”

Maritime Union Bluff Branch Secretary Ray Fife says the picketers kept a vigil on the port gates for the following day.

“The issue is about security of employment for local workers – we will defend secure, permanent local jobs and fight against casualization as long as it takes,” says Mr Fife.

Bluff has shown its support with locals and Bluff workers from other industries coming onto picket lines throughout the year to show their solidarity.

Further updates on anti-Mainland activities: www.munz.org.nz/mainlandwatch.htm

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Campaign Special:

Watersiders and Seafarers unite in national campaign to save Maritime Industry The Maritime Union is launching a national campaign to save our industry.

Our workers can no longer take the continual attacks on their security of employment, health and safety, and working conditions.

The very future of the maritime industry in New Zealand is at risk.

The National Executive of the Union has unanimously endorsed a campaign strategy that will involve all members of the Union doing their part.

We need to get across the point to the public that the maritime industry has become dysfunctional – and the maritime workers are being torn apart by continual attacks.

employment of casual labour in a fair and transparent way, and the immediate introduction of measures to ensure the survival of New Zealand shipping.

A member-driven campaign This will require building a strong united member-driven campaign aimed at educating the public on the deepening crisis in the Maritime industry.

A ‘vulnerable industry’ The major goal of this campaign will be to introduce changes into the Employment Relations Act review.

Our aim is to have the maritime industry declared a ‘vulnerable industry’ to protect our workers from further attacks by contracting out and the establishment of new companies to restructure workers out of jobs and conditions.

Further campaign goals Further goals of the campaign will include a review of health and safety on the waterfront, the regulation of waterfront and seagoing labour to manage the

This crisis includes casualization, contracting out, job losses, yellow unions, and the destruction of the shipping industry.

We will need to build support amongst other workers by helping their struggles against casualization and restructuring – and leading the way towards secure, permanent jobs in all industries.

Special meetings In order to gain the committed support of all members and all branches, the Maritime Union will call special stopwork meetings at branches to hear reports on the campaign.

These special stopwork meetings which need to be attended by all members will be asked to endorse the campaign strategy of the national executive of the Union, to be funded by a levy of $3 per week per member.

To do nothing is not an option.

The Maritime Union has the great history and internationalism of New Zealand’s Waterfront and Seafarers’ Unions behind it.

We have friends and allies in the maritime unions of Australia, the United States, Japan, Korea, Europe – and even fighting for recognition in the newest nation of the world, East Timor.

To surrender meekly and give away the game now would be a betrayal of the blood, sweat and tears of those who came before us and fought for what we have today.

To do nothing would be a betrayal of the young people of New Zealand who seek a future in the maritime industry.

To do nothing would be to betray ourselves.

The goal of the national Maritime campaign: “To ensure a future for the New Zealand maritime industry with permanent, secure jobs for workers, through legislative change and active unionism.”

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Disruption of port workforces Toll Stevedoring purchased BHP Stevedoring and employed a new workforce at Marsden Point, Northland.

Toll employed 12 people from the area, then because of lack of work started transferring this labour to Mount Maunganui with the flow on effect of seriously hurting our existing Mount casual members’ income.

These casuals had in most cases been loyal to Toll and BHP for many years, it was their sole income and they were all hoping to be offered full time work.

The end result was that Toll had to make 8 of its Marsden new employees redundant.

Destruction of New Zealand shipping industry

The Maritime industry of New Zealand has reached the point of crisis.

Workers on the waterfront and in New Zealand shipping are being hit repeatedly by attacks in a cut-throat industry that is dominated by short-term profits at the expense of long-term stability.

A major factor undermining the industry was the Employment Contracts Act of 1991, which sparked a series of attacks by aggressive, anti-union employers that have continued through the Employment Relations Act of 2000.

In the period from 1991 until now, maritime workers have experienced

New Zealand owned and operated Pacifica Shipping has been a major employer of Maritime Union members.

In the last year Pacifica has withdrawn half its remaining fleet of ships operating on the New Zealand coastal trade, leaving only two in action, in the face of capacity dumping by Flag of Con-

The viability of this vital industry is in jeopardy, with continual shakedowns of the workforce leading to casual-ization, contracting out, job losses and company unions.

Job security is non-existent, and the future of young people in our industry is bleak.

The time has come to fight back. Unless we turn the maritime industry in a new direction, it will be destroyed.

It is important to understand how we have got to this situation.

wave after wave of industry changes.

Many of our members who made the commitment to stay in the industry lost their entitlements and conditions through the restructuring of companies, contracting out, and casualization.

venience ships that employ Third World crews in Third World conditions.

The New Zealand shipping industry is literally dying a death from a thousand cuts.

The Maritime Union has campaigned for a decade to reintroduce cabotage, or the reservation of New Zealand coastal shipping routes for New Zealand ships and New Zealand crews.

The Government’s Shipping Industry Review noted in December 2000 that cabotage would increase New Zealand’s participation in shipping.

The Government’s own Transport Strategy aims at providing an affordable, safe, integrated and sustainable transport system by 2010.

Unless immediate action is taken, the New Zealand shipping industry will not be a part of this strategy, as it will no longer exist in any meaningful sense.

Free market policies unleash chaos The wave of free-market Government policies in the late 1980s and early 1990s began the process.

Some of these policies were aimed directly at our industry with the goal of boosting business profits, regardless of the effect on working people.

Waterfront workers got the full hit of Port Reform in 1989, with the reduction of workforce numbers by 50%.

Seafarers were attacked by the removal of cabotage in 1994.

This let in foreign and flag of convenience vessels to domestic cargo shipping routes at cheap rates, which has resulted in the progressive collapse of the New Zealand shipping industry.

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Little attention to social cost During this process, the increasingly aggressive competition between employers has reduced the workforce to the status of pawns, with an apparent lack of concern from Government as to the social consequences and the implications for the future of the industry.

The large number of ports (and stevedores operating within these ports) has contributed to the problem.

International shipping companies have used the situation to their advantage, playing port against port, with port companies offering all in rates that are not commercially viable.

Local shipping companies have been pushed out of the market as Flag of Convenience shippers dump capacity on domestic cargo routes, and operate ships with Third World conditions for their crews.

Some recent case studies of the industry in the last twelve months clearly illustrate these concerns.

Contracting out rips away employees’ conditions CentrePort Wellington decided to set up a subsidiary company to handle its conventional ships, work covered by the Maritime Union and the RMTU. Through a manipulated set of events and a contracting out exercise a new union was set up.

At the time CentrePort maintained a large list of casuals that worked on call.

The members of the new union encouraged some CentrePort casuals with little experience on the wharf to join their new union, resulting in a divided and hostile workforce and ongoing legacy of bitterness.

CentrePort could not make a success of this operation and they facilitated the setting up the Loading Company (which is supposedly autonomous of CentrePort). This Company is owned by shipping company Quadrant and ISL (operated by Hans Axt) from Mount Maunganui – and operates its own inhouse Union.

The problem here is that Maritime Union members were contracted out of work coverage by CentrePort.

The result is many faithful CentrePort casuals (some with service as long as 7 to 8 years) were never offered job interviews with the new company.

The other area of concern is this company is operating unsafely.

In another major port, Toll Logistics successfully took a large stevedoring contract from P&O Stevedores at the end of 2003 in Auckland.

To service this contract Toll purchased 100% of an existing Auckland Stevedoring Company, Leonard and Dingley.

The consequences of this take-over is that existing employees of P&O face redundancy, some may get a job with Toll and others face some form of Casualization.

Most of these affected P&O employees had already been laid off in the New Zealand Stevedoring crash in 1997 where many lost in the vicinity of thirty thousand dollars, in redundancy pay.

In another area, ANL has withdrawn from Auckland, leaving employees of Wallace Stevedoring with an uncertain future.

This company employs approximately 25 of our members, once again the majority of them lost their employment in the NZS crash.

calls, a situation encouraged by P&O Nedlloyd.

A second example of this situation occurred at Bluff.

Around 7 years ago, the port company at Bluff purchased a new crane based on promises that shipping companies would, because of its purchase, utilize the Port.

These promises failed to materialize and the Port Company, after some 3 years, sold the crane and down sized to an older model.

Until very recently MSC shipping owned the only container vessel servicing the Port, with its own ship cranes.

P&O decided to start a service from the Port with a gearless vessel, and the Port Company decided to purchase another crane which was to serve both MSC and P&O. Following this major investment, both MSC and P&0 announced they were reconfiguring to Port Chalmers.

Scab unions operating freely ISO-subsidiary Mainland Stevedores work log ships in a number of South Island ports, using a mobile casualized labour force that comes under coverage

of a ‘union’ that is not recognized by any other genuine unions, undermining permanent local jobs.

Safety and security issues Safety issues are not being addressed and the industry clearly needs to have legislation with some bite, not voluntary guidelines and other weak and compromised regulations.

The groundings of a number of vessels in recent times has led to action on tightening up one area of shipping regulations, but other areas have been left out of the equation.

The recent collapse of cranes on-board flag of convenience ships in Bluff and Port Chalmers since November 2003 shows the multiple negative effects of the deregulated “open” maritime industry. Waterfront workers are now effectively working in Third World environments when they go aboard these ships to operate machinery.

These ships endanger workers, the environment and ports themselves, as well as destroying the jobs of New Zealand seafarers employed under New Zealand conditions.

It is truly a bizarre spectacle, when massive biosecurity operations are carried out after the escape of insect pests onshore, and anti-terrorist hysteria imprisons individual refugees – yet at the same time our ports and maritime industry are left wide open to a range of hazards through a ‘hands off’ mentality.

The situation has reached crisis proportions.

The maritime industry has reached such a low ebb that morale of the workforce has become crippled in an atmosphere of insecurity and fear.

The Maritime Union has drawn a line in the sand, and is launching a nationwide campaign to bring some stability back to the maritime industries.

Excess competition undermining port viability One of the worst examples of shipping company manipulations was the recent set of events in the placing of the P&O Nedlloyd 4100 box vessels.

Major investments were made by the Wellington and Lyttelton Port Companies in a unsuccessful effort to gain ship

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The ‘Maritime Friendship’ following a crane collapse, Port Chalmers, November 2003

off the ship “like pick up sticks.”

The incident received widespread media attention, with Maritime Union National President Phil Adams and Mr Scoles interviewed on headline news on both major channels the following day.

The story featured on the front page of the Otago Daily Times and received coverage from the press and radio throughout New Zealand.

MSA inspectors held the ship for several days before clearing it for departure.

New Year incident in Bluff However, the New Year had more nasty surprises in store for watersiders.

Only weeks later, another crane incident in Bluff followed.

Several watersiders were lucky to escape when several tonnes of collapsing

by Victor Billot Two cranes on board flag of convenience ships in New Zealand ports have collapsed within six weeks of each other – with waterfront workers barely escaping with their lives.

The incidents in Port Chalmers and Bluff have led to calls by the Maritime Union for a complete overhaul of the health and safety regulations applied to foreign ships.

Watersider Colin Scoles at the ‘Maritime Friendship’, Port Chalmers, November 2003

In the first incident, a crane on board the Hong Kong-flagged Maritime Friendship snapped while loading logs onboard at Port Chalmers at around 9.18pm on Friday 28 November 2003.

The boom of the crane swung around onto the operators’ cab, breaking windows and bending the cab’s window frame.

A local watersider operating the crane had to dive for cover in the back of the cab.

The boom of the crane then crashed onto a digger onboard the ship.

Narrow miss Port Chalmers watersider Colin Scoles, who was driving the digger, had to accelerate forward seconds before the boom landed on top of the digger engine, narrowly missing the cab.

“I thought it was curtains” he told the Otago Daily Times.

“I didn’t even duck – there was no point.”

Mr Scoles said the shift had been going routinely until he noticed something unusual.

“I saw the crane operator lifting another load of logs on to the ship, and then the logs disappeared over the side.”

“I thought the load wire had broken, which happens occasionally.

But then I saw the gib of the crane coming straight towards me.”

Several workers on the wharf had to run for cover as a pile of logs rolled free

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equipment from a ship’s crane crashed onto the wharf at Southport in Bluff on Wednesday 14 January 2004.

At around 1.30pm, a gantry crane on board the Marshall Island-flagged ‘Tasman Independence’ had a large turntable crash onto the wharf with cargo after metal ropes snapped.

Three waterfront workers and a forklift driver were ‘a couple of metres away’ from where the wreckage fell, says eyewitness and Maritime Union member Harry Holland.

Mr Holland told the Southland Times he had seen a wire unravel on the crane from where he stood on the wharf, and he had pointed it out to other workers.

The remaining wires snapped and “timber and bits of the gantry and metal went flying everywhere.”

Shocking Experience Crane driver and Maritime Union member Keith Tangney says the whole incident happened very quickly, leaving him shocked and shaken.

Watersiders stopped work on the ship while it was inspected.

After work restarted, another gantry crane overheated, causing further delays and another inspection.

Southport management refused the media access to the site of the accident, stating it had received “enough publicity.”

The Maritime Union strongly disagreed with this approach, with National President Phil Adams writing to the Southland Times to express his disquiet.

Mr Adams says “We believe that when workers’ lives are put in jeopardy by shonky equipment, the more publicity the better.”

Attempts by Southport to do a media blackout were ultimately unsuccessful, as the Southland Times hired a helicopter to fly overhead with a photographer.

The newspaper featured a large colour photo of the wreckage on its front page the following day.

Television news followed up with interviews of Bluff watersiders.

Following the Bluff incident, Maritime Safety Authority director Russell Kilvington told the media the MSA would be looking back at other incidents to see whether there was a trend.

A crane collapse in July 2003 in Wellington was also reported in the Maritimes.

In late January, Maritime Union national officials were invited to a special meeting with MSA and OSH to look at ways in which workers can be protected from dangerous ships in New Zealand ports.

No friend of ours –‘Maritime Friendship’ not welcome here

by Victor Billot Maritime Union National President Phil Adams says a string of incidents on the Hong Kong-flagged ‘Maritime Friendship’ is an indication of how Flag of Convenience ships have introduced Third World conditions into New Zealand ports.

The log ship made headlines late last year as Port Chalmers watersiders faced a series of hazards as they worked on board during the last week of November 2003.

Maritime Rustbucket

Photos of the Bluff crane incident show the aftermath of the failure of a gantry crane on the Tasman Independence, Wednesday 14 January 2004

The first sign of trouble was when forty corroded metal stanchions had to be removed.

The MSA stopped work on the ship while they were replaced by temporary wooden stanchions.

Another watersider on board had put his foot through the corroded deck.

ITF inspector Kathy Whelan flew from Wellington and boarded the ship on Thursday 27 November to investigate allegations the Chinese (Peoples Republic) crew were being underpaid.

The ITF then made a claim against the Singaporean owners IMC to recover backpay owing to the ship’s Chinese crew.

Then on the evening of Friday 28 November, a crane fell to pieces while being operated by a local watersider.

Mr Adams says the announcement of the withdrawal of the New Zealandowned coastal freighter Spirit of Enterprise only days prior to the incident made the situation particularly outrageous.

Open coast policy threatens workers “We were reading in the paper that the Government were talking about free trade deals with China, at the same time as ‘free trade’ Flag of Convenience ships were endangering our men at Port Chalmers.”

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The Vice President’s Report

by Joe Fleetwood 0296 I hope the New Year has been good to all brothers and sisters of the Maritime Union, and comrades of the Trade Union Movement of the world.

We should be commended on our survival of the vicious attacks we have suffered at the hands of employers on our wages, working, and living conditions.

The year 2003 saw much heartache for the working class, but there were some victories.

Tasman Maritime Federation Under the watchful eye of ex-National President Dave Morgan, we have seen the splicing together of two great unions, the Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), forming the Tasman Maritime Federation (TMF).

The formation of the TMF has had Wellington Secretary Mike Williams, and national officials of the MUA create split crews again, onboard Australian manned vessels.

New Zealand members thank the MUA for the work in Australia, and will gratefully take full advantage, should the opportunity arise again.

Political Campaign We need to campaign more politically this year, keeping the pressure on the Government for a result in favour of the workers.

The Terrorism Act, Port security, Biosecurity, and Cabotage are just a few of the many issues which General Secretary Trevor Hanson, and other officials of the MUNZ have been pressing upon the Government.

For Port security, a national register may be the way to go.

Bio-security cannot be controlled without restoring cabotage on the New Zealand coast.

Due to past Governments’ disgraceful open-coast policies, FOC ships of shame currently ply our coast-line, exploiting foreign workers with despicable and shameful conditions, dumping waste and paying little or no taxes or ACC levies.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand sees the only solution to be fully New Zealand owned, operated and crewed ships, as this will return high profit, and create a New Zealand owned industry for New Zealand workers.

The current section 198 of Transport act needs to go, returning a foreignowned industry back into New Zealand hands.

No foreign operator can provide the dedicated and committed service to the people that New Zealand ship-owners and crews offer.

Free loading We need to stamp out the individuals who have done nothing to contribute to the benefits and conditions gained by the collective maritime union family.

These persons are unwilling to strive in unity for better conditions, wages, etc.

They are first in line to accept all gains that the Trade Unionists have, and will battle for, and think nothing of our fellow, and future workers.

Help stamp out free-loading!

Delegates

Port News Retiring Joint National President Dave Morgan addresses the Auckland Seafarers Christmas Party, 11 December 2003 (Photo by Garry Parsloe)

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Every attack on the worker must not go unchallenged.

Our delegate system is paramount, and must be defended at all costs.

Delegates must be given 110% support and encouragement.

Employers fear Trade Unionism because the workers have the rights and the know-how to organise as a collective, making us strong.

2004 will be the year of the worker.

Kia Kaha, Tatau Tatau (Be strong, we are all one)

At the Maritime Union Auckland Seafarers Branch, Old Timers Party, 11 December 2003

Port Roundup:

Auckland Seafarers

by Garry Parsloe On the 11th of December 2003 we held the Old Timers Party at the Maritime Club in Anzac Avenue,

Auckland.

On behalf of the Auckland branch Executive I welcomed everyone to the Old Timers Party.

When welcoming all the Old Timers, I reminded them that this special occasion is put on by the Rank and File to show their respect and appreciation for all the struggles in the past – because without those struggles we would not be enjoying the conditions that we enjoy today, equal Time On and Off, and a excellent Pension and Welfare Scheme, just to name a couple of well entrenched conditions.

Pat Lumber, ex-National Executive Member of both the Cooks and Stewards Union and the New Zealand Seafarers Union was the first guest speaker.

I then welcomed John O’Neill stating that John had decided not to stand for a position on the Branch Executive and whilst that was sad as John has a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer, this branch knows that John will always make himself available to assist in any way when asked.

John had held an executive position in the Union for the last 35 years being South Island Secretary, Auckland Assistant Secretary, a National Councillor on a regular basis and until recently our National Vice President.

After John responded he was thanked by acclamation.

I then welcomed Dave Morgan and spoke of Dave’s absolute commitment to the New Zealand Seafarers Union, the Maritime Union of New Zealand, the Maritime Industry and the Trade Union movement.

I had the luxury to attend the SUA and MUA Conferences with Dave Morgan and at the last one in September 2003 I heard accolades from Paddy Crumlin, Mike Dolman and Rick Newlyn likening Dave with Harry Bridges and Elliott V Elliott.

Huge raps but when analysed they are correct, especially when you look at Dave’s history of commitment to the Trade Union movement locally, trans Tasman and internationally you find that no-one could have done it better.

I gave a background of Dave’s history in the Maritime Industry going back to his time as South Island Secretary before he went on to become National President, a position he held for 30 years.

I concluded by stating that Dave’s principles, integrity and commitment to the Trade Union movement, locally, trans Tasman, and internationally, have been unparalleled.

After Dave responded he was thanked by acclamation.

Other union officials present were Brian Forde, current Auckland Branch Executive Member, Fred Anabell exNational President, New Zealand Cooks and Stewards Union, Gerald Hill, ex Auckland Branch Assistant Secretary, New Zealand Seafarers Union, and John Denise, ex Auckland Branch Executive, New Zealand Cooks and Stew-

ards Union, Bluey Davies, Joe Briggs and Alex McDonald, all ex-Executive Members of the New Zealand Seamen’s Union.

There were four Executive Members from Local 13 in attendance, Denis Carlisle, Branch President, Russell Mayn, Branch Secretary and Frank Bruno and Gordon Kopu from the Local 13 Executive.

Also in attendance was Peter Best ex Executive Member of the New Zealand Cooks and Stewards Union and ex President of the Airline Stewards Union.

A special thanks must go to the cooks, Pat Honan, Peter Hamill and Frazer Barlow for the excellent spread that they put on.

The merriment continued well into the evening before we finally sent all the Old Timers home by taxi from what was a most memorable day.

Port News From left to right, Archie Hawkins, Gerard Hill, Peter Best, Ben Clark, Paddy O’Connor and Frank St Bruno at the Auckland Seafarers Old Timers Party, 11 December 2003 (Photo by Garry Parsloe)

From left to right, Slim Forde, Jerry Caulter and Tommy Burgin at the Auckland Seafarers Old Timers Party, 11 December 2003 (Photo by Garry Parsloe)

21

Port Roundup: Napier

by Bill Connelly

Around and about The port is starting to roar back into life with the busiest part of our year fast approach-

ing.

We have already started loading squash and the fruit season is just around the corner.

Ohope Beach Accommodation in New Zealand Members should be aware that the holiday accommodation at Ohope Beach is now at a premium, because we now only have the one unit available for rental.

Bookings can be made through the Napier Branch, by contacting the Secretary either at the Union Office, his home or on his mobile telephone number (see inside back page.)

The fine weather over recent months has seen the unit fully occupied.

Vacancies commencing each Sunday, on a weekly basis, are as follows: 21 March 2004 18 April 2004 25 April 2004

Members who have left the industry In the next month or two we will see the retirement from the industry of the following members.

It is sad to see them go, but I know they will all be looking forward to a well earned retirement after over thirty years on the waterfront.

Eddie Arnold Joined the Napier Branch 10 January 1972 – Left 15 February 2004.

Cliff Gerrard Joined the Napier Branch 05 January 1972 – Left 22 February 2004.

Trevor Aldous Joined the Napier Branch 06 December 1971 – Left 14 March 2004.

The Officers, Executive and members of the Napier Branch wish them well in their future endeavours and a long and happy retirement.

On a personal note I would like to thank them all for their continued service to the Branch, over their many years under the hook.

They will be missed.

Port Roundup: Mt. Maunganui

by Phil Spanswick The start of 2004 has not been the best, with the death of a former member, Robbie Diamond.

On 27 December 2003 Robbie died after being struck by a forklift driven by a colleague.

Occupational Health and Safety inspectors are currently investigating the incident.

The branch’s condolences go to the “Diamond Whanau”.

Dougie Marsh, the proprietor of the Seafarers Centre, tragically passed away on 11 December 2003.

Dougie was a popular host, well loved and respected by all, and his untimely passing will be felt by all.

Log exports are still moving slowly and a large number of casual members have moved on to more permanent work in other areas, with the intent of returning once the log exports pick up.

We have a full list of collective agreement negotiations scheduled for 2004 which will start in earnest in February.

Port News Gold Coast Accommodation in Australia Please note that the confirmation period for bookings is now SIX MONTHS, which put quite simply means that members nationally can now book six months in advance.

Vacancies within the next six-month period are as follows: 20 March to 3 April 2004 17 April to 1 May 2004 Once these vacancies are filled then there is nothing available until 6 November 2004.

The apartment was re-painted in November last year and by all accounts most members are pleased with the results.

Members from other ports who have stayed at the apartment during the past year have come from Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Wellington, Port Chalmers and also as far afield as Melbourne and Brisbane.

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Code of Practice for Health and Safety in Port Operations

Have not heard much since the General Secretary and myself met with Wray Mealings to discuss the implementation of this piece of important legislation.

I hope it has not gone on the back burner again.

Here’s hoping that common sense prevails and we will hear something in the not too distant future.

ITF Training at Mt Maunganui, 2003

Port Roundup: Wellington Seafarers

by Mike Williams

Wellington Branch elections A Ballot has been sent to all Wellington members for the

branch election.

The returning officer is wellknown Trade unionist Con Devitt, with scrutineers elected from the Wellington stopwork meeting.

Nominations are also out for a Womens’ Officer.

Arahura Stoppage The Tranzrail/Toll legal action against the Maritime Union for alleged stoppage on the Arahura on 29 September 2003 has been withdrawn.

Strait Shipping Collective action this month from the Catering department onboard the Santa Regina (Blue Bridge) highlighted the horrendous conditions the members work in with regards to safety onboard the ship.

The passenger attendants stood strong together to let the employer Strait Shipping know that it is just not good enough.

The unity from the crew has marked the beginning of a powerful, robust united front in the struggle for workers’ rights as well as passenger and crew safety.

Offshore industry A Seismic vessel is due in New Plymouth Friday 31 January with changeover to full NZ complement.

Drill ship Ocean Bounty and two Swires vessels are due the first week in March, with the MUA and Maritime Union of New Zealand still in talks with Total Marine (Australia) and Charterman Marine (New Zealand) over the 50/50 agreement (half Australia and New Zealand crew.)

We have agreement with Swires.

Members interested in this work should contact Wellington Seafarers Secretary Mike Williams (contact details inside back page.)

Port Roundup: Gisborne Local 38

by Dein Ferris The big thing happening in the Port is the Interport Sports Tournament held here on the 8–12 February 2004.

It’s thirty odd years since this event was last held in Gisborne in 1973, and thanks to Local 13 the Interport will return to Gisborne.

I know those coming will enjoy the hospitality along with the tournament and all the other activities Gisborne has to offer.

For those of you who can’t make it I’m sure you will be told what you missed.

Workwise the Port has started what we call the silly season.

The squash (pumpkin ) shipments destined for Japan are underway.

We load about thirty vessels in a ten to twelve week period along with our normal type shipping, which makes life a little hectic (however it keeps us employed.)

I recently attended our Port security meeting.

Gisborne is considered a low security area, and one of the suggestions was to have a Union card with photo ID. (I’m sure Victor could make use of his digital camera here.)

On the more serious side searching of vehicles could be a concern, although it was emphasized security was not there looking for contraband (hmm.)

Here at Gisborne we hope you all saw in the New Year in suitable fashion.

Port News Toll All ports meeting

Alan Windsor attended Toll All ports meeting held in the St George’s Basin Sydney, with Toll holdings increasing involvement in stevedoring and shipping ports.

Represented at the seminar were Port Kembla, Melbourne, Geelong, Westernport, Whyalla, Brambles Shipping Auckland, Mount Maunganui and Wellington Seafarers.

It became clear that a joint seminar was needed to unite and inform all Toll employees on what was happening in the industry and put in place a strategy.

The transtasman Toll All Ports Committee called on Toll to maximize permanency in the work place.

Arahura “A” crew at Denis Birkett’s retirement send-off party

23

Port Roundup: New Plymouth

Port Roundup: Lyttelton Local 43

by Shane Parker The Port is still busy with most of our work seeming to fall on the weekends.

It was good to have our Picnic day on Monday 26 January with no ships in port – past and present members enjoyed a morning’s golf and bowls followed by a meal and drinks at the port.

We were joined by members of the RMTU and local port company workers including the Port CEO. This is a rare opportunity for all these people to meet in a non-work environment.

Any Maritime Union member who is in the Port Taranaki area on the last Monday in January is welcome to participate.

One thing that has been noticed in the Port is the changing nationality of the ships’ crews.

Where once it was predominantly Asian crews, there seems a trend to eastern European crews and recently we had a reefer ship with an all Spanish crew (part of the never ending search by international ship owners to get even cheaper crews no doubt.)

by Graeme Chandler We at Lyttelton would like to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

At the moment we have talks taking place or about to start in three areas in the Port.

Toll has been ongoing for some time now – we hope to tidy that up shortly with, as always, nothing too flash in it for us.

Pacifica is still undergoing major changes of which there is no good news for the workers.

This has been a very trying time for the members in this area with talks of redundancies being timed for the Christmas break.

Lyttelton Port Company is in the process of putting together remits for the talks which will start in February.

If the last round is anything to go by no one will be taking bets on when they will finish.

Lyttelton Stevedore Services are suffering from a shortage of labour which they hope to address in the next round of talks.

The transition period with the Seafarers is going well, although with the loss of a ship from Pacifica we have suffered redundancies.

One of the main changes made in Lyttelton is the employment of Les Wells in the office on a part-time basis.

This is working very well as members now have the opportunity to drop into the office and talk to someone.

Les also reports that retired members drop in from time to time.

Port Roundup: Whangarei

By Steve Murray Very quiet here in the winterless north at the moment.

As most of our work in Whangarei is export based, the high New Zealand dollar is keeping things slow on the work front.

Oh well, plenty of time for golf!

Due to the quiet nature of the work situation we are having a hard time keeping skilled casual staff.

There seems to be a new face every day, so it’s up to the old hands to make sure the new guys follow all the safe working practices.

We are hoping things will pick up in the future as the volumes of veneer and triboard going through the port seem to be increasing, with two new ships on the veneer run.

Port security in Whangarei so far seems to consist of two new gates but not much else.

Three of our new permanent staff have been elected to the executive which is very pleasing to see.

There is nothing like on the job training.

Recently three of our members attended a MAF-run biosecurity course, with management and Port Corporation staff also attending.

Good to see everybody working together for a change as these pests could affect all our safety and livelihoods.

Port News

At the New Plymouth Branch Picnic Day, Past President Henry Rau (left) with Noel Parker (photo by Shane Parker)

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Members and friends at the New Plymouth Branch Picnic Day, 26 January 2004 (photo by Shane Parker)

Port Roundup: Auckland Local 13

by Russell Mayn In Auckland we have experienced a very busy Christmas with all of the companies in the port providing us with daily chal-

lenges.

In the conventional port we now have a new player in Toll who have purchased Leonard & Dingley, one of the oldest stevedoring companies in the port.

We will be negotiating a new Collective Agreement with them shortly.

In the container terminals we have experienced a major problem with the Port Company’s straddle fleet over the last couple of months.

This problem involved the breaking of lifting chains which resulted in one of our members being seriously injured when a 40 foot box that he was lifting three high smashed through his cab.

We are awaiting the report due out in February from OSH and will inform all locals of the findings from the enquiry.

On the social side of things we have had a couple of very successful events.

Picnic day was enjoyed by all those who did not have to work, with outdoor bowls, golf and the family day picnic at Pt Erin Pools.

Our thanks to all members and Executive members who put in the work to make this a very successful day.

We saw some of the benefits of the Maritime Union with both Seafarers and Wharfies enjoying themselves at the outdoor bowls.

All of our members from Local 13 attending the Interport Sports are looking forward to seeing old friends at Gisborne in February.

I have been told on the QT that it is only good manners to let the host Branch come back with all the trophies so in the next magazine perhaps we can provide some photos of Local 13 members holding onto some spoils.

As the Maritime Union we can now see some of the benefits when unions become globalised.

Recent combined action from the Maritime Union of Australia, ITF and Maritime Union of New Zealand saw an ITF contract onboard the MV ‘ANL Progress’ containing an addendum allowing seamen to undertake stevedor-

ing work removed and the original ITF contract being put back in place.

Local 13 Vice President, Dave Phillips has just recently returned from the Toll’s conference held in Australia.

He visited most ports where Toll undertake stevedoring work.

He returned with a wealth of knowledge, contacts and all sorts of other useful information.

The whisper has it that he returned with a hangover as well.

Solidarity between the Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Maritime Union of Australia is quickly becoming one of our greatest strengths.

Local 13 extends its thanks to the Maritime Union of Australia for the invitation and the hospitality shown to our Vice President.

As the new MAF regulations take effect we see that watersiders are now becoming the first line of defence against unwanted pests.

Auckland members on a vessel on Friday 23 January managed to spot a Banana Spider crawling across a container.

First seen by the Deck Foreman, Wayne Glover and the Portainer Driver, Ray Munce, this incident highlights the problems with some cargo entering New Zealand, and the need for a policy to be put in place to protect our members once unknown spiders and insects are first encountered.

Port Roundup:

Wellington Waterfront

by John Whiting The truism that changes to shipping and stevedoring services always impact onto the workers concerned has once again been shown to be accurate at the Port of Wellington.

The impact of the Wellington Port Company’s involvement in setting up the new stevedoring entrant the Loading Company has removed a large amount of work from our members including some 78 calls per annum by Tasman Orient ships, also car carriers and banana discharge.

This new entrant has shown a complete reluctance to hire anyone who has a union membership record unless they resign and are prepared to join the Loading Company’s in-house ‘workers’ association.’

There have been undercurrents of dissatisfaction already appearing amongst their workforce due to length of work spells, long periods of continuous days worked, and subsequent safety concerns.

Already two of their number have voted with their feet and departed.

The consolidation of the trans-Tasman container service resulting in the removal of the MSC ‘New Plymouth’ and the ‘ANL Pioneer’ is having a serious effect on our members working for the Southern Cross subsidiary Capital City Stevedores.

This company is conducting a full review of its Wellington operation and obviously we have concerns about the longer term situation.

The MSC container line have apparently decided to add a Wellington call to their New Zealand – Europe service.

This will provide some new work for our members employed by Centreport offsetting the losses to the Loading Company.

This report sums up the current position for our members on the Wellington Waterfront and largely follows the pattern seen since the Port Reforms of 1989.

Port News Ropey Henry mans the bar at the Port Chalmers Christmas Shout, December 2003

25

Port Roundup: Port Chalmers Local 10

by Phil Adams Happy New Year from Port Chalmers Local 10.

2004 looks to be a challenging year for

our branch.

More work is expected for Port Otago, there is a stagnant log trade for the Southern Cross men, and Mainland Stevedoring is attempting to raise its profile (if not yet showing its face) in our province.

National President Firstly, as newly elected National President of the Union, I would like to give my thanks to those who supported me in the recent elections.

Together with newly elected Vice President Joe Fleetwood from the seafarers section, I intend to make a difference with our new Union and lead it positively into the future.

Local 10 At our December stopwork meeting, the branch moved and passed the motion that we call ourselves Local 10, following the lead of Auckland, Gisborne and Lyttelton.

There is a ILWU Local 10 in San Francisco that we hope to make contact with and set up a port relationship with.

Lashing by crew Port Otago has gained the PONL Tasman service at the expense of Timaru and Bluff.

This has the ship ANL Progress visiting our port.

As noted elsewhere in the Maritimes, a recent ITF inspection of this ship discovered an addendum to the ITF crew agreement that gave the crew the right to do work currently performed by local stevedores.

We sent a letter to ANL Head Office, stating that we would take action should crew members undertake work currently performed by our members.

All members must be vigilant about this.

It is all very well to have an extra break or to get away early because a very courteous crew member has offered to do the lashing for you.

That is why our numbers are so low now, as these types of shortcuts have always cost us jobs.

The Maritime Union around the country will view very seriously any incidents of members allowing ship crews to do our work.

The cadetships are a 3 year apprentice system which at the conclusion sees the cadet become a fully fledged cargo handler.

The Permanent “B’s” are guaranteed three days a week, and fully subsidized medical and super.

Our officials have had a full meeting with the cadets and Permanent “B’s” informing them of the Union’s functions and how we have been able to stay strong through collectivism.

We believe the message got through and hopefully they will understand the old Union mottos – United we stand, divided we fall, and an injury to one is an injury to all.

Kids’ party, retired members day and Union Shout The Annual Kids’ Party was held prior to Christmas, with all attending describing it as a great success.

Many thanks to the wives and partners who helped organize the day.

A few years ago we had very small showings so this year’s turnout is a positive indication of the future.

The annual retired members and union shout was well attended, and the retired members enjoyed it.

We feel that they are the people who through blood, sweat and tears have established the wages and conditions we currently enjoy, and we owe them a great thanks.

I know they look forward each year to catching up with the younger members and long may it continue.

Special thanks to Brian Berryman and Clive Giles for organizing the Retired Members Shout, as well as Ropey Henry for his work behind the bar.

Thanks to Ron Scoles for his list of old nicknames and two poems, plus a photo display of our last executive and events around the 1989 demise of the Waterfront Commission.

Very well received Ron.

Port News Superannuation

It is good to see the WISF bounce back after a disastrous year in 2002.

Congratulations to Ray Fife, recently elected as a Trustee to the WISF – well done Ray, I know your contribution will be good for our members.

It is good to see new members joining the fund as well.

Holiday Home This continues to be well-patronised.

We are currently looking at giving the fairest system for the use of it as it is booked out for most of this year, thus giving some first timers little chance of getting to stay there.

New Entrants and “B’s” It was good to see new cadets starting before Christmas and new permanent “B’s” starting as well.

All the cadets have come from our Permanent B ranks and the Permanent B’s from our casuals.

We believe this growth both in numbers and job types will continue as the Port grows.

Interport Sports Tourney A large contingent are readying themselves to take on one and all at the Gisborne Interport sports tournament in February.

We wish them all the best and remind everyone that Port Chalmers will be holding it in 2005.

MUA Conference

At the Port Chalmers Christmas Shout, December 2003: Bob Davidson, Gordon (Buck) Forgie, and Walter(Ginger) Meehan

26

The Maritime Union of Australia will be holding its Conference in Sydney from 10 March.

An invitation has been received by our Union to send our officials plus 10 rank and filers from the ports.

Our February meeting will decide whether we send a member as it would be a great experience with many benefits.

Delegates on the job Our branch uses executive members as delegates, but intends to nominate delegates for each shift so as to return to the days where delegates played a huge part in bringing issues to a head instead of letting them die for lack of attention.

Members who would like to become a delegate please let myself or Davey Dick know as soon as possible.

Early retirements It is with some sorrow that we see three of our longest serving members at Port Otago take early retirement within the next couple of months.

Rex Hill, Bill Brown and Len Hannah have each put in over twenty years service and are now moving on to retirement and other ventures.

These three have seen the hard times and the good times, and have stuck behind the Union.

We wish a happy retirement to all three.

Also, it is pleasing to see Stu Neill back at work albeit on a shortened day.

Stu is fresh and rearing to go which is a bit of a worry to all, but knowing him he will soon be on full duties.

It is also a pleasure to report that former member Robin Forgie is on the road to good health after a setback.

Bruce Campbell is back working for Port Chalmers Cargo Services after injuring his heel while jumping from a container on a Pacifica vessel.

It is good to see Colin Perriman AKA The Bantam back at work with both wings intact.

South Island Organizer The debate continues to rage on this issue with most in the South convinced of the necessity of this position.

The only other option is putting someone in the offices of the Port Chalmers and Lyttelton that would look after Lyttelton/Timaru/Nelson and Port Chalmers/Bluff.

With numbers in the ports of Lyttelton and Port Chalmers on the increase, it is imperative we have a South Island organizer or offices manned in Port Chalmers and Lyttelton possibly on a three day a week system. This needs to be done sooner rather than later otherwise our members’ interests will not be attended to at the highest level.

pariahs.

The letters were from myself, branch vice-president Clive Giles, a young cadet and a Port Chalmers Cargo Services watersider, all of which were printed.

Many local people have stopped me in the street and offered support which is heartening as our community realize the impact Mainland could have on us.

Their last visit had the useful side effect of bringing our branch together and also solidifying our relationship with the local branch of the RMTU. Our members are ready for Mainland and vow to protect what we have gained, as letting them in would destroy all the hard work we have done to get us where we are today.

Port News Nautilus Franco Since the last Maritimes, Nautilus Franco actually won a race but has since failed to flatter.

Time is running out for this horse and so is its owner’s patience.

Mainland

Mainland Stevedoring Manager Jim McDougall recently had a large article printed in the Otago Daily Times.

In it he attempted to paint a great picture of Mainland’s supposed technological wizardry and made the bold claim that Mainland would be the main stevedoring company in the South Island within five years.

He also stated that his workers were a ‘colourful lot.’We believe this is a warning that Mainland are on their way back to our port.

We immediately responded with letters to the Otago Daily Times that stated we were not about to give up our gains in permanent employment, and will fight even harder to rid our port of these

Maritimes

The Maritimes magazine is well received not only by current members but also our retired members.

Having the ability to contribute allows a large number of our members to see the message we are sending, which is hopefully getting through.

Thank you once again for allowing us to contribute.

Delegate Training In December I travelled to Auckland with Joe Fleetwood and Phil Spanswick to discuss delegate training for the coming year.

We cannot stress the importance of this training enough, and our Union is pushing delegate training to the forefront.

The benefits are starting to show through in the calibre of people standing for positions not only locally but nationally.

Members new, old, and retired, make up a full house at the Port Chalmers Christmas Shout, December 2003

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Port Roundup: Bluff

by Ray Fife Bluff suffered a major setback when the Mediterranean Shipping Company and P&O decided to cut Bluff from their

schedule.

The MSC New Plymouth and P&O Taranaki visited the port on alternative weeks to unload/load containers within a 12 hour shift.

Southport have put up a brave face, but when you look at the fact that 80% of the total container volume was handled by these two vessels and that they had invested heavily in a mobile crane, heavy forkhoists and upgrading of the container pad, they must be hurting badly.

Time will tell if they can fill the gap left.

But if we go by past trends, once the cargo drifts north it is very hard to attract back.

South African Trawler Late November our Branch had another crew problem with the South African owned trawler South Princess.

On both occasions crew have walked off the vessel.

This time 5 members of the South African crew walked off the trawler citing bad working conditions and wage related issues.

Even though the vessel is not covered by an ITF agreement we carried out a ships inspection, in which there were a number of issues that needed to be addressed.

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The Company agreed to our concerns and procedures were put into place to rectify all the problems.

The five crew members were still not happy about going back aboard as they felt they would be persecuted when back at sea and wanted to terminate their contract and fly back to South Africa.

After a lot of arguing in which their employer threatened to lay desertion charges, we finally were able to get the five workers on a flight back to South Africa with the help of Kathy Whelan.

Their future back home is not so certain as we found out they were to face charges when they arrived home.

I would like to thank Kathy for her help and those of our membership who voluntarily helped out while the trawler was in port.

Gantry Crane Incident On 14 January, several of our members narrowly escaped injury or death when several tonnes of equipment crashed on to the wharf from the vessel ‘Tasman Independence.’

The gantry crane head, along with a 20ft spreader and load of dunnage collapsed onto the wharf when the wires holding the gantry snapped.

The ship was stopped immediately and the MSA was called to carry out an investigation.

After the ship’s inspection they found that the slewing crane needed repairs as well and was not to be worked until those repairs were carried out.

Only the one Gantry crane was worked the whole time it was in the port, delaying the sailing by quite some time.

At this stage the MSA have not finalized a report as to what caused the wires to break.

It is of concern that the MSA do not inspect all ships on their first port of call

in New Zealand, as on most occasions they only inspect the certification carried on the vessel and leave it at that.

The MSA have now commented that a serious piece of analysis will be carried out, and that they will be looking back at other incidents in recent months.

It is a pity that it took an incident that could have been fatal to finally get some action taken on the safety standards on ships.

Those of our members who were involved in the incident were diligent in their safety standards, and eye witness Harry Holland was able to give an excellent report on the incident.

Past Members’ Function Our annual function was once again held in November last year.

There was another good turnout where ex-members joined together to reminisce on their days when employed on the waterfront.

There were a lot of laughs, tall tales told and friendships rekindled.

As one old timer said “it is the one event that I look forward to going to each year.”

Port Roundup: Timaru

by Kevin Forde We have been flat out over the Christmas and New Year period with Maersk and Tasman phosphate

vessels.

The Chatham Islands trader Rangitikei owned by Black Robin shipping has been another regular carrying fish, stock and paua in and supplies out, and is going into dry dock after her next trip.

Timaru Cargo Services employees have been working out of port in Port Chalmers and Lyttelton, as have Turnbulls in Lyttelton.

Two new gantry craned Tasman ships have been coming through Timaru, with 18 more visits a year from Tasman Orient.

The Port Company and Fonterra have built new milk powder dry stores on the South Beach.

Port Roundup: Nelson

by Bill Lewis Our work force is made up of around 30 permanents and casuals, with others being called on when

required.

With permanent work being at a seasonal low there is less work to be spread around and consequently incomes fall, however the apple exports will be with us soon and will give some relief.

One single issue facing all ports at present is the casualization of jobs, with companies folding up then appearing under a new flag.

They then displace the existing permanents with a small core of key people and hire the remainder from a labour hire company when required, of whom the company has no obligations or responsibilities for.

New Zealand workers are really disarmed to fight this, but a struggle must develop to combat the onslaught against our organized established labour force, and maintain our hardwon conditions.

This is an area where we must meet the challenge to our very existence.

On the maritime side our offshore section is beginning to provide employment with two Seismic survey ships arriving, and a semi-submersible drilling rig with two supply ships due in March.

A number of our seafarers are employed relieving in the Cook Strait service.

Our crew members from Nelson have been displaced from Pacifica due to redundancies in that fleet and need to find employment.

Pacifica has downsized from four to two ships in one year, and this has had a devastating effect on the coastal trade.

We have been fighting for years to gain cabotage in some form or other from the Government.

Foreign shipping companies have almost strangled the New Zealand coastal trade to the point where New Zealand companies cannot afford to pay contract conditions, taxes, Accident Compensation levies, and port costs, and survive.

Should this continue the foreign operators will have control of coastal rates which will put us on the beach, and they will reap the profits to repatriate overseas.

ITF co-ordinator Kathy Whelan is interviewed by Three Network News during the investigation of crew pay irregularities on board the ‘Maritime Friendship’, Port Chalmers, November 2003

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Letters A letter from East Timor Comrades, On behalf of the workers we would like to thank you for your solidarity and financial support during our recent strike against Timor Aviation Services.

Although we have returned to work on an interim agreement, after 14 days of strike action, we have still not had our two comrades reinstated.

This matter will go to arbitration when this facility is set up.

We have struggled for our independence and know that we will have to fight for workers’ rights.

Yours in Unity Sabino Adonia Uniaun Maritima no Transporte Timor Lorosae (UMTTL) Executive (Maritime and Transport Workers Union of East Timor) During the ITF Training Seminar in Auckland, October 2003, a t-shirt raffle raised $720 for the East Timor union who were on strike at that time – Editor

No to Mainland We reprint the following letter that was published in the Otago Daily Times in January 2004 – Editor

I am a young waterfront worker at Port Otago at Port Chalmers.

I have recently progressed into a permanent position here.

I am worried that if Mainland Stevedores set up here in Port Chalmers that myself and other young local workers here will find our future employment prospects wrecked.

The present employers at Port Chalmers and the Maritime Union have worked to create permanent jobs and this has meant that a whole group of young workers like myself are getting job security and have a future here in Otago.

The last thing we need is to get this stuffed up by an outfit like Mainland and their casual jobs.

Yours sincerely David Middleditch

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Retirement plans Received by the office of Kathy Whelan. We think the name of the horse may be Nautilus Franco – see Port Chalmers report for further info – Editor.

Hi Kathy, I have finally withdrawn my money from the SRF. Even though it took a battering in the last year it amounted to far more than I could have accrued as an individual, and for this I am thankful.

Most people want enough to live out their lives with dignity, but when I retire I will have enough to lead an undignified life which is much more fun.

I have sent it to my friendly Nigerian Army Colonel who is going to pay me US$4 million on Christmas Eve. True ! He sent me a receipt.

Some of my mates know of a horse that’s a sure winner at the races over Christmas.

It’s such an outsider that the owner, trainer and jockey aren’t allowed to tell us the horse’s name because if it leaks out everybody will want to back it.

I intend to buy this horse on Boxing Day and on 1 January should be worth $10 million.

You do believe me don’t you – I thought not !

I wish to extend my appreciation for all the help I have received from you over the years and wish you and everyone well.

Con Linton Retired AB

Suggestion Box In my opinion issue #4 excelled the previous three in total, a lot of substance and perspective.

In my eternal search for where we are going, I would like to read contributions from CTU, RMTU and Minister of Labour Kia kaha Alan Burke (Hawkes Bay Stevedoring Services, Napier) Thanks for your comments Alan, we think the idea of contributions from outside the Maritime Union is a good idea and we will aim to have some contributions in future editions – Editor

Letter to Southland Times The following letter was sent to the Southland Times by National President Phil Adams in January 2004 – Editor

Dear Sir, I write to you as another Flag of Convenience vessel at our port has a crane collapse potentially causing a fatal injury.

When will Government and authorities take action to prevent what will inevitably result in a fatal accident and Maritime disaster on our coast?

Our members turn up to work every day not knowing the condition these vessels are in.

This situation did not occur under cabotage, as New Zealand’s strict safety standards meant these vessels were not only safe to work but safe to ply our coast.

Also saddening is the reaction from Southport management to deny media coverage of this latest incident.

This is the same management that condones Mainland Stevedoring taking permanent local jobs and replacing them with out of town casuals.

To deny media access to a potentially fatal incident so it can be highlighted to prevent future accidents is narrow minded and short sighted.

It shows they worry more about not upsetting shipowners than preventing another accident or maritime disaster on our coasts.

In my home port Port Otago we have been successful in working together between management and workers, in Bluff the opposite seems to be happening and this is the reason the port is struggling.

Bluff can come back as a major port but the division between workers and management – highlighted by the lack of concern over Mainland and now putting the mighty dollar ahead of people’s lives – means it will not happen while the same management team are in place.

It is indeed time for a change.

Phil Adams National President, Maritime Union

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New Plymouth Phone: 06 7589 728 Fax: 06 7513 646 Mobile: 0274 127 854 Address: PO Box 659, New Plymouth Email: shane.parker@munz.org.nz Napier Phone/Fax: Mobile: Address: Email:

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Wellington Seafarers Phone: 04 3859 288 Fax: 04 3848 766 Mobile: 021 481 242 Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington Email: mike.williams@muno.org.nz Wellington Waterfront Phone: 04 3859 288 Fax: 04 3848 766 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 Phone/Fax: 03 5446 886 Mobile: 025 844 148 Address: PO Box 5016, Nelson Lyttelton Local 43 Phone: 03 3288 306 Fax: 03 3288 798 Mobile: 0274 329 620 Address: PO Box 29, Lyttelton Email: les.wells@munz.org.nz

Timaru Phone/Fax: 03 6843 364 Mobile: 021 2991 091 Address: PO Box 813, Timaru

Port Chalmers Dunedin Local 10 Phone: 03 4728 052 Fax: 03 4727 492 Mobile: 027 437 7601 Address: PO Box 44, Port Chalmers Email: phil.adams@munz.org.nz Bluff Phone/Fax: Mobile: Address: Email:

03 2128 189 027 4475 317 PO Box 5, Bluff ray.fife@munz.org.nz

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