It would be a desperate move and one that has already alienated the Ports of Auckland’s council controlled board and its major customers as one of New Zealand’s major ports fights to stay profitable.
But, something has to be done to resolve the festering dispute soon as shipping lines – at least two major lines Maersk and dairy product export giant Fonterra so far – have opted to direct traffic away to other ports such as the Port of Tauranga.
Board members have chosen to oppose the contracting out move and at least one, Michael Wood, board member for Puketapapa told the New Zealand news media he feels the dispute is getting out of hand. In a joint statement, 28 board members have urged the port to drop its contracting out plans and return to good faith bargaining. However, port customers have given overwhelming support to Ports of Auckland plans.
The sixth strike – for 24 hours from 7am January 31 – “will do nothing to end the dispute,” says Ports of Auckland Chief Executive, Tony Gibson, “other than to strengthen our resolve to sort this out once and for all.” He calls the latest strike notice “highly irresponsible” and added the port would try to stay operational during the shutdown by using non-union staff.
The port’s collective labour contracts expired September 30, 2011 and there has been turmoil ever since. The Maritime Union of New Zealand has claimed Ports of Auckland was planning to jettison the collective agreements long before they expired and switch to contract labour as does its more profitable rival, the Port of Tauranga, which lauds the flexibility and economy of its contract labour system.
The Ports of Auckland standoff has spiralled out of control says Maritime Union boss Garry Parsloe, who terms it a “political stoush.” Parsloe says the latest strike action is aimed at getting information out to the wharfies in a special meeting about the port’s plans. “They have a right to know their jobs are taken off them,” says Parsloe. “They have a right to know that if they go back they’ll be on inferior conditions.”
The Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Federation of New Zealand has left no doubt where it stands and says the dispute has escalated into a bitter, acrimonious labour stoush. It warned that the labour union might be losing sight of its goal. Parsloe concedes there’s some truth to that sentiment, but the consensus is the union and the port are “still miles apart”. The latest six-hour mediation session earlier in January failed to resolve the standoff.
The Ports of Auckland troubles have been a surprise bonus for the Port of Tauranga which has so far gained $47 million of trade from Maersk and Fonterra because of the dispute.