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Issue 14 • July 2006 Magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand ISSN 1176-3418

TheMaritimes

Stranded in paradise: how overseas crews are being ripped offMethyl Bromide • Keep Our Port Public • Kill the 90 Day Bill • TrainingPort Roundups • ITF Actions • Union history • International solidarity

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The Maritime Union has received international support for its recent industrial action in Whangarei.

The action has gained the interna-tional support of the Japanese maritime unions who have backed up New Zea-land unionists in the best traditions of international solidarity.

Maritime Union members picketed at the port of Whangarei on Thursday 1 June to protect secure local jobs.

The action happened after stevedores NZL Group bypassed permanent local labour and employed casual workers to load kiwifruit bound for Tokyo on the Greek owned, Antiguan flagged vessel Saronic Wave.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand informed our fellow unions in Japan with the help of the International Trans-port Workers’ Federation (ITF).

When the ship arrived in Tokyo, it was met with a delegation from the Japanese Seamans Union and the Japa-nese dockers union Zenkoku-Kowan.

The delegation of eight persons handed protest letters to the master of the vessel and asked him to inform the company that Japanese unions insisted current bona-fide dockers be used to work their ship in New Zealand ports.

Maritime Union Auckland Branch Local 13 President Denis Carlisle says the action has received the support of maritime unions in Japan and Australia, as well as the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).

”The issue is about whether local workers will have job security, decent wages and conditions,” says Mr Carlisle.

”What we have seen in the industry is a concerted attempt by some employ-

Japanese unions offer solidarity to New Zealand maritime workers

ers to try to knock the bottom out of the industry by picking up inexperienced, casual labour which they move around the country.”

Mr Carlisle says in the end everyone is a loser with casualization.

“It is the small-minded, short-term approach, because eventually you get to a point where there is no group of qual-ity, reliable skilled workers anywhere, and then you will have a crisis in the industry. But the employers who caused it will never take the blame.”

The stevedoring company, NZL Group, was formed recently as a result of Dubai Ports selling off P&O operations in both the ports of Auckland and Tauranga.

The company had reached an under-standing with the union that it would have the right to take bonafide wharfies to Whangarei from either its Auckland or Tauranga operations, with local members filling any shortfall in labour requirements.

However, it later breached that understanding by using non-Maritime Union members.

ITF Assistant Dockers’ Section Secre-tary, Sharon James, said the local wharf-ies were professionals who had worked at the port diligently without complaint from any other port user for years.

“There is no justification for this ac-tion and if companies are not careful, the race for rock bottom labour costs will compromise safety and security in the longer term.”

She also urged affiliated unions to sup-port the Maritime Union through what-ever legal means were available to them.

Members of the Japanese Union delegation aboard the Saronic Wave in Tokyo, 13 June 2006, (left to right) Mr Kunihiro Hanaoka (Secretary of the Tokyo Port Federation of Dock Workers Unions), Mr Taisuke Koguchi (Secretary, Council of Dock Workers Unions of Tokyo), and Mr Shigeru Fujiki (ITF Inspector of Japan, Zenkoku–Kowan)

Members of the Japanese Union delegation aboard the Saronic Wave in Tokyo, 13 June 2006, talk to the master of the vessel.First on left Mr Shoji Yamashita (ITF Co-ordinator of Japan, JSU), fourth from left Mr Fusao Ohori (ITF Inspector of Japan, JSU)

Members of the Japanese Union delegation on the Saronic Wave in Tokyo, Japan, (front row, left to right), Kwang-Chon Lee, JSU trainee from Korean Special Seafarers Union (KSSU), Mr Shigeru Fujiki, Mr Shoji Yamashita, (back row, left to right) Mr Fusao Ohori, Mr Kentaro Uchida (ITF Flag of Convenience Campaign Assistant, JSU), three crew members, and Mr Taisuke Koguchi

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‘The Maritimes’Edition 14, July 2006

ContentsJapanese unions support maritime workers ................................ 2Trevor Hanson Report ............... 3Phil Adams’ Report ................... 5Whangarei picket .................... 6Drug & alcohol policy................ 7Methyl Bromide ...................... 7Kill the 90 day Bill ................... 8Letters ................................. 9Keep Our Port Public ................ 10Union History ......................... 12ITF Dockers Conference ............. 14Fred Salelea Training Report ....... 15Overseas Crews ....................... 16ITF Report ............................. 18Port Roundups ........................ 20Branch Contacts ...................... 28Obituaries ............................. 29Book reviews .......................... 30French job law thrown out ......... 31The 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 27004WellingtonNew ZealandTelephone 04 3850 792Fax 04 3848 766Email: trevor.hanson@muno.org.nzWeb: www.munz.org.nz

Edited and designed by Victor BillotEmail: victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Editorial Board: Trevor Hanson, Phil Adams, Joe Fleetwood

Front cover photos:(top) Port Chalmers member Alan Middleditch works on “Big Blue”, the new crane (photo by Peter McIntosh, courtesy of the Otago Daily Times)(bottom) Crew members of the Ukrainian joint venture fishing trawler Malakhov Kurgan protest for fair wages at the Port of Lyttelton, May 2006 (photo courtesy of the Press)

Disturbing future under free trade

by Trevor Hanson General Secretary

2006 continues to be a busy time in the maritime in-dustry as workers face a number of serious issues.

Port issuesThe instability of our ports has been

a continuing problem, with the Southern Cross restructuring and the continuing talk from port owners and managers about “port rationalization.”

Both of these issues are reported on in this issue of the Maritimes, including the campaign to keep ports in public ownership.

Our concern is that the kind of ag-gressive competition we have seen in the port industry has been having predict-able results.

Rather than a planned and organized system to ensure stable workflows and an efficient industry, the ongoing “dog eat dog” style capitalism in the industry is producing bad outcomes.

The effect on job security is the most serious aspect for our members.

However, the problem is much wider.The Maritime Union believes that it

is time a national strategy for ports is put in place, as part of a wider Transport and Infrastructure plan.

If the rationalization of ports is left to “market forces” we will once again be left in a position where there are few winners and many losers – and control of the industry will remain in the hands of self-interested and short-term opera-tors.

This is not an option.The Union has also faced situations

where local unionized labour has been threatened in recent weeks.

Whangarei members with the support of Auckland Branch Local 13 picketed the Port of Whangarei recently to protect local jobs and the Union has received support from our Australian and Japanese comrades.

A full report on this situation can be found later in this issue of the Mari-times.

GATS and Free TradeThe Maritime Union has been put-

ting a lot of work into finding out what will happen to jobs and working condi-tions under free trade agreements.

We have recently had some success. After substantial lobbying and public-ity, we have managed to get assurances from the Government that maritime services will no longer be a bargaining chip in free trade negotiations.

Basically this has reduced the poten-tial for short-term, casual labour being imported to undercut wages and condi-tions in our industry.

In general, we disagree with the idea of free trade, and we are disappointed the Government seem to be completely sold on it.

The problems with the free trade system and its effects on working conditions have not been given enough attention.

The concern of the Union is specifi-cally that the conditions of employment we take for granted may be swept away.

There is also the danger of the New Zealand economy being further priva-tized and under the control of global corporations.

Once New Zealand has signed up to free trade agreements, there is no ‘escape clause.’

Any country that signs up to free trade agreements will suffer severe eco-nomic penalties if in the future we want to get out of these agreements.

The sad fact is most people in New Zealand have no idea what free trade agreements mean – which is hardly surprising since the public is completely excluded from any debate or input into this matter.

Free trade is simply another name for the free market policies that caused so much harm to working people in New Zealand, but this time on the inter-national level.

The Maritime Union will continue to question the so-called benefits of free trade, and supports the promotion of international trade based on fairness, equality and the rights of workers to safe, secure and wellpaid jobs.

[continued on next page]

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National OfficeTelephone: 04 3850 792Fax: 04 3848 766Address: PO Box 27004, WellingtonOffice administrator: Valentina GorayEmail: val.goray@muno.org.nz

General Secretary: Trevor HansonDirect dial: 04 801 7614Mobile: 021 390585Email: trevor.hanson@muno.org.nz

National President: Phil AdamsDirect dial: 03 4728 052Mobile: 0274 377601Email: phil.adams@munz.org.nz

Contact the Maritime UnionNational Vice President: Joe FleetwoodMobile: 021 364649Email: joe.fleetwood@muno.org.nz

Assistant General Secretary: Terry RyanMobile: 021 1866643Email: terry@munz.org.nz

ITF Inspectorate: Kathy WhelanDirect dial: 04 801 7613Mobile: 021 666405Email: kathy.whelan@muno.org.nz

Communications Officer: Victor BillotMobile: 021 482219Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Overseas CrewThe Maritime Union has been help-

ing the crew of the Malakhov Kurgan, a Ukrainian-owned fishing vessel laid up in Lyttelton.

The vessel was part of a joint ven-ture with New Zealand owned United Fisheries.

The crew had not paid been what they were owed, in the view of the Union.

In conjunction with the Community Law Centre in Christchurch we have been working with the crew to get a re-sult, and as the Maritimes goes to print we can report that the remaining crew have been made a suitable payment.

However this incident is just a symp-tom of the wider disease – the fact that sections of the fishing industry are con-tinuing to exploit overseas crews while local fishermen are leaving the industry as wages plummet.

The Maritime Union has been fol-lowing two other incidents that have occurred in recent months – onboard the fishing vessels Marinui and Sky 75.

This issue of the Maritimes reports on these incidents as well.

If the industry is not going to clean up their act on their own, they will have to be made to.

Like the rest of the maritime indus-try, they have one interest: profit.

Workers’ rights, wages, conditions, the future of the industry, the marine en-vironment, are not really their concern.

The Union is continuing to put pres-sure on the Department of Labour and the Government to get the situation sort-ed out before we continue further down the path of Third World conditions for workers in New Zealand waters.

There is a simple answer: regulation and enforcement.

Methyl BromideThe Maritime Union is financially

contributing to a class action on Methyl Bromide poisoning taken by former Nelson member Ian Street who is still suffering the effects of inhaling Methyl Bromide seven years ago.

We have details on this later in this issue of the Maritimes.

National ExecutiveThe National Executive of the Mari-

time Union met in Wellington on the 15–17 May and discussed a wide range of current issues facing our Union.

These included issues such as Southern Cross Stevedoring, methyl bromide, free trade, the Keep Our Port Public campaign, drug and alcohol policy, union education, union commu-nications, international meetings and solidarity actions, a finance committee report, and reports from all branches around New Zealand.

We were fortunate to have Maritime Union of Australia Assistant Secretary Rick Newlyn attending the meeting.

Rick was present for our discussions and also gave an interesting report on the political and industrial situation in Australia.

The attendance of a high level official such as Rick at our meeting is an indica-tion of how seriously both our Unions take our Trans Tasman Federation, and is an excellent indication of our growing ties in the Pacific region and the wider global Union movement.

90 Day BillThe Maritime Union with all our

unions has been concerned about the in-troduction of a “90 day bill” by National Party MP Wayne Mapp into Parliament.

This bill is an indication of where National wants to take industrial rela-tions. In essence it allows a new em-ployee to be sacked in the first 90 days of employment with no reason required.

It is another step towards job insecu-rity and is really a “casualization” bill.

The potential results would be pre-dictable especially in an industry like ours with aggressive employers.

The Union is opposing the Bill and we ask all our members to alert their friends and family of the dangers of this type of law should a National Govern-ment ever be re-elected.

The Maritime Union notes that when workers in France were recently faced by a similar attempt to make their jobs less secure, they took to the streets by the million and stopped the whole thing in its tracks.

It is time that we followed their example and stood up for our right to job security.

Update: Southern Cross Stevedoring

The Maritime Union is still negotiating with Southern Cross Stevedoring on their proposed restructuring.

Redundancies are expected in Lyttel-ton and Mount Maunganui, but negotia-tions continue.

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Secure jobs and good conditions are won by collective action

‘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: 1 September 2006 for next edition

by Phil Adams National President

The industry we work in is always at the forefront of change.

Maritime workers face the pressures of the global capitalist economy such as changes in ownership, technological advances, instability and insecurity of work, and pressures to continually get more profit.

However it is the hard slog of work-ing people that actually creates the wealth and creates the jobs, a fact that is sometimes forgotten.

If we want to have a say over our conditions on the job, then we have to do that through the Union.

Remember that an individual worker is powerless when compared to a mul-timillion dollar business – so do not be tempted to “do it yourself” in dealing with employers, managers, and on the job problems.

By collectively working in the Union with other workers, we have “strength in unity.”

Secure jobs and good conditions are not handed out by the employer like Christmas presents, they have been won by collective action by workers in Unions over generations, and they can be easily lost.

The answer to this situation is sim-ple: strong union branches with good input from members.

My view is that regular meetings of Union branches are a vital part of keep-ing an active member-organized Union.

It is not an option to leave the work to a few.

All members of the Union have an obligation to get involved in their union branch and support our activities – if we are not growing then we are dying.

It is good to see younger members of the Union stepping up and taking part in training and putting their names forward for union positions. However there is no room for complacency.

By becoming apathetic and leaving it to someone else to fix, we dishonour the memory of the old timers who fought for what we have today, and we let down those who come after us.

So get involved and come along to your Union meeting.

Keep Our Port PublicThe Maritime Union has added its

voice to the campaign to keep the Port of Lyttelton in public ownership.

We have an article about this topic later in this issue of the Maritimes.

In short, the attempt to sell off part of the Port of Lyttelton to the multinational port operator Hutchison was not a one off.

The plan failed due to various fac-tors, but this attempt will no doubt just be the first in a wave of port privatiza-tions as ports try to position themselves as “number one” with the international shipping lines.

For the last century this type of ap-proach has always seen the shipping lines come first and the interests of workers and the wider community come last.

Ports should be operated in a rational way as part of our infrastructure as a trading nation.

However market madness prevails and our pint-size ports continue to spend their time, money and energy on trying to become top dog.

The option of a planned approach would see the end of duplicated resourc-es and insecurity, in favour of a co-ordi-nated and co-operative approach where ports worked together in an open way.

It will probably take some more debacles before the brains trusts in management learn their lessons, but the Maritime Union will be supporting publicly owned ports regardless.

AmalgamationThe Maritime Union continues to

work through the amalgamation process with the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU).

The goal is to negotiate a working plan that both sides can then present to the Union membership for their final decision.

This requires good will and some work, but it is important to go through all the issues now.

The key point to remember is that the members have the final say.

The other key point is that as a democratic organization, the majority view in our Union will prevail.

I believe that our national officials involved in the negotiation process have the best interests of the Union at heart, and will come back with a good docu-ment.

But in the end the decision will be made by the members.

On another note, the Maritime Union has recently worked alongside the RMTU in the Keep Our Port Public campaign and has put out a number of joint statements.

This is a good indication of unity in action on the waterfront, and it is through this kind of work that we can practically build a strong collective voice for workers.

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Young Auckland workers protest youth rates, May Day 2006 (photo from www.indymedia.org.nz)

The Maritime Union is supporting a class action by people affected by the industrial fumigant Methyl Bromide.

A former Nelson waterfront worker and union member, Ian Street, asked the assistance of the Union. Mr Street is still suffering the effects of Methyl Bromide poisoning after accidental exposure seven years ago.

At their May meeting, the national executive of the Maritime Union de-cided to contribute $10,000 towards the costs of mounting the case.

The goal of establishing a register of people exposed to Methyl Bromide is seen as an important goal, as this has proved useful in overseas cases of industrial poisoning.

The Maritimes magazine reported in April 2005 about the problems caused by Methyl Bromide in ports.

Much of the concern in New Zealand has centered around the Port of Nelson.

Several cases of exposure of workers to the toxic chemical have occurred in recent years at the Port.

A number of workers in the port have died from motor neuron disease since 2002, although authorities say there is no evidence that methyl bro-mide is responsible.

However there is no doubt about the dangerous nature of Methyl Bromide.

Used as a fumigant and pesticide to kill organisms in cargoes such as timber, Methyl Bromide is a colourless and practically odourless gas that is heavier than air.

This means it is hard to detect without specialized equipment, and can “pool” in confined areas such as ships’ holds and warehouses.

Medical symptoms of exposure to Methyl Bromide include convulsions, coma, and long-term nerve and brain damage. It can also cause skin burns, lung inflammation, and irritation to nose and eyes.

To be detected in humans, blood test-ing must be carried out within 48 hours of exposure to be effective.Do you have any experiences with Methyl Bromide? Contact the Maritimes (contact details page 4).

Union backs Methyl Bromide lawsuit

Win for Iraq Union campaignAn Iraqi port union has won a victory for union rights, after the government relented on a decision to continue its suppression of the union.

A number of anti-union tactics were launched against the ITF-affiliated Port Workers’ Union, based in Khour Al-Zubeir Port, after it complained about poor working conditions in March.

These included the closure of its of-fices, the withholding of board mem-bers’ salaries and the transfer of their jobs some 550 kilometres away.

However, at the end of May, the union reported that the situation was improving.

Union General Secretary Zaki Zabbari commented: “The order of transferring the board members of the union has been cancelled, and salaries were received. We are now back in our departments and are negotiating on the reopening of the union’s offices and its committees.”

He also thanked the ITF for its sup-port.From www.mua.org.au

New Caledonia hit by general strikeA general strike took place in New Caledonia in June led by dockers from the USTKE union.

The strike was called after an escalat-ing dispute based around the arrival of the shipping companies, MSC and Maersk, in the port of Noumea.

The union is demanding a quota system for cargo being offloaded in Noumea to protect local companies, and opposing the arrival of multina-tional shipping giants Maersk and MSC because they could dominate the freight market and force other shipping compa-nies out of the port.

The port of Noumea has had a strong presence of striking picketers and union members over May and June.

The Maersk container vessel “Asia Decimo” did not to unload its containers at the scheduled destination, Noumea.

Three port workers in New Caledo-nia were hospitalized after a clash be-tween members of USTKE and employ-ees of the Sato port company.

USTKE spokesperson Pierre Chauvat told the media the attack could have been much worse.

“We were standing just outside the port peacefully and they came with a big forklift, they hit some police cars but fortunately we managed to stop them before they killed anybody. So that was a real attack by this militia.”

The Union then reinforced the picket of the port by about four hundred USTKE members.

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by Russell Mayn, Local 13 Secretary

A draft Policy for the Maritime Union of New Zealand has been prepared and is now available to each Branch/Local.

This policy has been prepared with the assistance of the Maritime Union of Australia who have undertaken signifi-cant research on this subject.

The policy focuses on rehabilitation and impairment on the day.

These two ingredients seem to be the stumbling block with the employers we have talked to so far.

All companies that we are deal-ing with in Auckland, Tauranga and Lyttelton are trying to enforce company policies on their respective workforces.

These company policies are often off the shelf models purchased through drug companies or Health Boards.

They contain all the negative points that make Drug and Alcohol policies unpalatable.

The main points they promote are random testing of urine as the first line detection process with punitive actions, rather than rehabilitation.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand is involved in talks at present with three companies – Toll Owens at Auckland, Tauranga and Lyttelton, NZL at Auck-land and Tauranga, and Asco at Auck-land.

The types of policies presented by the companies vary with the NZL policy being the least worker friendly.

The drugs and alcohol policy has been taking a large chunk of resources but I believe we are ahead of the ball-game, and must press on while we have this advantage.

If we don’t succeed in getting a union policy accepted within our industry we will be left with one sided policies that are used as a tool to dismiss members within our industry.

Drug and alcohol policy looks at rehabilitation, not punishment

by Russell Mayn, Local 13 Secretary

The International Longshore and Ware-house Union (ILWU) has been helping Blue Diamond workers in California to organise for the last two years and has asked the Maritime Union of Australia and Maritime Union of New Zealand for assistance and support.

Following the Mining and Maritime Seminars held in Newcastle (Australia) and Long Beach (USA), the Maritime Union of New Zealand has pledged to “globalize” and offer our support to like minded unions not only in the Pacific Rim but internationally in the struggle against anti-union employers.

The Blue Diamond workers have been subjected to some of the worst anti-union tactics by their employer: delegates sacked, stand over tactics, continuing threats at the workplace such as closure of the plant.

The Maritime Union has sent mes-sages to the company demanding fair treatment for these workers and mes-sages of support to these workers.

The main points of the dispute are the demand for better wages – for example sorters, the largest and lowest paid group of workers, have received a total of only $2.00 in increases from 1990 until very recently, bringing them up to about $11.00 per hour.

Meanwhile the plant manager makes more than eight times what a sorter earns.

The workers are also demanding more affordable health insurance.

Better job security is another demand – currently there is no seniority, temp workers are sometimes hired to replace permanent workers, and workers’ schedules can be changed without their having a say in the matter.

The Blue Diamond workers also want improved health and safety as many workers suffer from repetitive stress injuries, heat, dust and chemical exposure.

The Maritime Union supports the ILWU in organising these workers, and demands fair treatment for the workers at Blue Diamond, the right to organise, the right to belong to a union, the right to basic conditions such as health insur-ance, superannuation and a guaranteed wage.

The message from the Maritime Union of New Zealand to Blue Diamond workers and the ILWU is one of “No Sur-render” and we pledge our support. http://www.ilwu.org/organize/bluediamondworkers.cfm

Blue Diamond workers battle for their rights

The Second International Day of Action for Blue Diamond Workers came to Vancouver on May 16. Local labour activists joined ILWU Convention delegates and guests for a 500 person march to a Safeway supermarket as part of the campaign (photo courtesy of the ILWU Dispatcher)

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A national campaign is underway to defeat an attempt to attack job security.

The Employment Relations (Proba-tionary Employment) Amendment Bill is a major attack on the rights of all workers and is strongly opposed by trade unions.

The Bill was introduced into Parlia-ment by National Party MP Wayne Mapp.

If it became law it would enable em-ployers to sack workers without reason.

It would remove all personal griev-ance rights for all workers in their first three months of employment.

The Bill removes basic employment rights. For example, workers have a right to be told of concerning issues in the employment relationship, the right to be listened to and the right to fair process before being dismissed.

If this Bill were passed every time a worker started a new job, basic employ-ment rights would be denied.

Although this Bill will particularly affect the vulnerable workers (such as short term, casual and seasonal work) it would apply to every one of us each time we start a new job.

The Maritime Union says the 90-day Bill has a simple and clear purpose: to attack the rights and job security of working people.

The Bill should not be seen as a “one off.” It indicates the path that a future National Government will go down in terms of their approach to the terms and conditions that workers have in their jobs: minimum wages, grievance

procedures, working hours, and union representation will all be in the firing line.

The Maritime Union and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union both dis-agree with the idea that the 90 day Bill protects important rights for workers. The only reason it is being proposed is to reduce those rights, allowing workers to be given the sack for no reason and removing all personal grievance rights.

”How Dr Mapp can say with a straight face this will help the low-waged worker is quite remarkable,” says Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson.

The sinister nature of the Bill can be best explained by noting that the maritime industry is already dangerously casual-ized, along with many other industries.

This is especially bad given the young people in those industries who will struggle for years with inferior pay and conditions, before leaving the industry from burnout or worse.

We also have large numbers of exploited overseas workers employed in areas such as the fishing industry where it is obvious that there are bad things go-ing on aboard fishing vessels.

The results of casualization in health and safety (death and injury on the job), stress and fatigue, too many hours or too few hours, and lack of security for workers and their families is plain to see, and something Unions have constantly fought against under various

Kill the Bill – your job security is under attack

Governments since the 1980s. This 90 day Bill is a “casualizing”

law that is another attack on the job security of workers.

All our past history shows that there will always be bad employers who would use this legislation to turn over employees in an attempt to bypass nor-mal employment legislation.

Those employers would reap the benefits of their poor behaviour while the better employer would be penalized for providing more secure employment.

This is known as the “race to the bot-tom” where incentives are provided to those who attack their workers.

The Maritime Union would sup-port legislation for young workers to be given intensive 90 day industry train-ing periods at the start of their working lives, funded by the Government.

These programmes could educate young workers on their industry, health and safety, training opportunities, and their rights at work.

Workers are not pawns to be used and cast aside with no obligation by employers – which is what the 90-day Bill allows and promotes.

We have one additional question to Dr Mapp. Will the probation period of 90 days in his Bill apply to National Party MPs? Will their employers, the public of New Zealand, have the right to dismiss them in the first 90 days of their employment? If not, why not?http://www.union.org.nz/campaigns/90daysbill.html

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Dedication to merchant navy

I was proud to be involved with and attend a dedication service to honour the men of the Merchant Navy lost in both world wars held at Lyttelton cenotaph on Sunday 5 February.

A plaque was fixed to the cenotaph to honour the men of the merchant navy and to put them on an equal footing in terms of recognition with the armed forc-es – the Navy, Army and the Air Force.

Speeches were given by repre-sentatives of the various armed forces, a representative of the Canterbury Branch of the Merchant Navy Association Mr Ted Coggins and also by the Mayor of Lyttelton Mr Bob Parker.

Mr Parker stated that when you honour the people that were part of the Merchant Navy, you are also honour-ing and recognising the families and the wider port infrastructure as there are a lot of people who have served at sea in various capacities and that means their families are connected as well.

Winston Churchill always said if you are walking down the street and see a man walking along with a silver button on his lapel (symbol of the Merchant Navy) salute him because he is the man that feeds you.

The dedication was well attended by dignitaries and the general public and several members of the Maritime Union including our local Secretary Les Wells were in attendance.

John Jeffery (Lyttelton Branch)

Letters

Mike Williams retires

Dear Comrades,

It is with great regret, I will not be available to re-stand for my position as the Wellington Seafarers’ Secretary-Treasurer, (as I announced at the Febru-ary stop work meeting) due to medical reasons.

I joined the Seamen’s Union over 32 years ago and enjoyed my time with the original comrades whom I sailed and struggled with.

I relished my time as an Overseas Trade Campaign Co-ordinator and an active member of the National Council of the Seamen’s Union.

I was pleased to have served my time in the Seafarers’ Union from 88, again as an activist National Councillor and campaign Organizer.

Following this I was elected as the National/Wellington Secretary treasurer and continued in this role leading up to the MUNZ amalgamation in 2003.

Unfortunately, I leave office at a time when amalgamation talks between MUNZ and the RMTU are still proceeding.

I have always supported this pro-posed amalgamation in order to achieve our long time goal to have one union on the waterfront.

The power of one union on the wa-terfront cannot be underestimated.

I have faith that with our branch’s support, Paddy Crumlin (MUA) and Paul Goulter (ACTU) it will succeed.

Such amalgamations, as the RMTU and MUNZ, will only work well if struggle-based, with a clear rank and file democracy.

Power should reside in the collective and collective action from a position of strength will ensure a strong new union to take us forward into the future.

The seafarers can best contribute to this if we retain a national structure and our seafarers’ identity.

The same applies, I believe, to the rail workers and the wharfies. We should all come together in a genuine national structure, where the main groups of workers involved gain strength through ‘cross-pollination’.

I wish the membership well. I feel very fortunate to have had the honour of the confidence of the membership as an activist and a union official carrying out the affairs of the union and leading the struggle for us all.

The history of the wharfies and sea-farers is a strong one, with many battles fought and won for the workers and it is

up to us to continue carrying the flame for justice, peace and solidarity going forward.

Whilst I am retiring from the posi-tion, I am not retiring from the work-force or the class struggle. See you on the picket line, comrades.

In Solidarity,Mike Williams (Maritime Union Wellington Seafarers’ Secretary / Treasurer)

Seafarers’ Concerns

Many of the concerns raised by Wel-lington Branch Seafarers about their voting rights within the new Union will resonate loudly with some members.

The ineffectiveness of some seafarer members’ voting rights stem directly from the union rules establishing the port branch structure and affect seafar-ers in two main ways.

Firstly seafarers living in the smaller regional ports are expected to belong to local port branches whose official does not administer their employment agreement.

Members’ employment agreements are of course central to the quality of their working lives and seafarers should be able to vote for the advocate of their choosing – a fundamental right of union membership.

The same Union rules then go on to limit seafarer ability to fight this issue nationally through minimal representa-tion on union national bodies.

These concerns have been “smoulder-ing” for some time among seafarers and were first raised by delegates at the Sea-farers’ Ngongotaha conference in 2002.

It was clear from that conference that adoption of the old Watersider rules into the new union would not fully cater for the needs of a changed membership.

It was my understanding that the new executive would review the union rules (taking in these anomalies) once amalgamation occurred.

That has not happened and so the disaffection of some seafarers continues.

It is a nonsense to argue that these grievances are not legitimate and that seafarer voting rights are not badly af-fected as a result.

The existing port branch structure could perhaps be modified (through proper process) by superimposing a number of seafarer regional branches on to it.

This structure should allow for seafarers in regional ports to fully par-ticipate in issues directly affecting them whilst encouraging activism in their local ports.

Many seafarers would also like more equal representation on union national bodies perhaps through a system of proportional representation.

There will always be issues specific to the needs of seafarers and watersiders that have to be dealt with equitably by these bodies.

Until these issues are properly re-solved and we effectively clean up our own backyard any contemplation of fur-ther amalgamation is hugely premature.

Peter Harvey

10

Keep Our Port PublicAn attempt to sell off part of the Port of Lyttelton to a multinational port operator has ended in an embarrassing flop – but the threat of privatization remains.

The Keep Our Port Public campaign was formed in February 2006 in Christ-church in response to moves by the Christchurch City Council to cut a deal with Hong Kong based global corpora-tion Hutchison.

The Port of Lyttelton was listed on the sharemarket, but is majority owned by Christchurch City Council through its business arm CCHL.

The management of CCHL entered into negotiations with multinational port operator Hutchison, with the goal of a setting up a partnership.

The proposed deal would have seen Hutchison owning 50.1% of the opera-tions of POL and 49.9% of the infrastruc-ture of POL.

In order to do this, CCHL attempted to buy up all shares in POL, as stage one of the proposed deal.

The deal hits the rocksHowever two problems arose im-

mediately. There was a bad reaction from the

public and the formation of the Keep Our Port Public campaign.

Then there came a surprise move by Port Otago who purchased a block of shares of POL (at this stage they hold just over 15%).

Faced with this situation, the pro-posed Hutchison deal fell over amid public outcry and massive media atten-tion.

Accusations were flung between the two sides but it was clear that the deal had not been handled well, with criti-cism even coming from capitalists.

Hutchison has withdrawn for the meantime and the POL remains in ma-jority ownership of CCHL.

KOPP campaign formsThe Keep Our Port Public cam-

paign was founded in February 2006 in Christchurch by a number of groups and individuals.

Its goal is simple: to keep our port in public ownership (or to return it to full public ownership).

The campaign has had substantial coverage and public support including a 10 April meeting at the Christchurch Town Hall attended by over 200 people.

Speakers included Kerry Burke (the head of Environment Canterbury, other-wise known as the Regional Council, but speaking in a private capacity), Murray Horton of the Campaign Against the Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA), Green MP Metiria Turei and port union leaders Trevor Hanson and Wayne Butson.

KOPP has laid detailed complaints against the Christchurch City Council with both the Auditor-General and Ombudsman, stating that the Council failed to undertake appropriate pub-lic consultation, and questioning the Council’s decision-making process and their misleading public information.

Widespread support for campaign

Official supporters of the campaign include the Maritime Union, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, CAFCA, the Green Party and the Alliance Party.

A number of Christchurch local body representatives and individuals from other groups have supported the cam-paign with the City Council appearing to be split on the issue.

The Government MPs from Christ-church have also put out a good state-ment supporting public ownership of the POL as well as the need for ports to co-operate.

The ITF and our international affili-ates have also got behind the campaign as they see it as a part of the “ports of convenience” issue.

The KOPP group in Christchurch continues to meet fortnightly and is car-rying out a number of activities to keep pressure on, as CCHL have indicated they will attempt to carry out a similar deal in the future.

The Maritime Union has assisted the campaign through the setup of a web-site and online petition, and we have also released a number of joint media statements with the RMTU, which has proved to work very well so far and is a good step in the direction of unity on the waterfront.

A KOPP group has been set up in Dunedin, in order to provide sup-port as Port Otago is now a minority shareholder of the POL. The group gained considerable publicity from its inaugural meeting, and has appointed two spokespeople, Victor Billot of the Maritime Union and Green Party MP Metiria Turei.http://www.keepourportpublic.org

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By Trevor HansonA speech to the Keep Our Port Public meeting, Christchurch, Monday 10 April 2006

The Maritime Union has joined the Keep Our Port Public campaign and we make two strong points.

The first point is that what happens to the Port of Lyttelton will have na-tional implications for all New Zealand Ports.

The second point is that what we are experiencing is part of a global trend in the maritime industry.

The global maritime industry is dominated by a shrinking number of conglomerates, and we can use the example of world shipping to show the direction in which global port operators are moving.

Ports of ConvenienceThis term “Ports of Convenience”

is borrowed from the term “Flags of Convenience.”

The ‘flag of convenience’ system allows countries with no shipping industry to speak of – such as war torn Liberia or landlocked Mongolia – to act as the official ‘flag state’ for ships owned by global corporates.

For example, you will have ships owned by European based companies who carry the Liberian flag, paper-work done through an agency based in America, crewed by Filipino or Indone-sian crew and Korean officers employed through labour hire agencies.

The goal is to maximize profit by avoiding and evading national laws, taxation and human rights.

The result in terms of lack of regu-lation, abuse of crews, appalling con-ditions, poor wages, environmental destruction, corruption and criminal activity is an international disgrace.

However it is a system that works very well for the global shippers.

The attempt now is to roll the free trade agenda further into ports of conve-nience - ports owned and controlled by global corporates.

This process is taking place overseas and is part of the wider push for free trade.

Maritime Union official Terry Ryan attended an international union confer-ence on Ports of Convenience held in Bangkok in February of this year.

He reports that developments in the world port industry are increasingly following in the same direction – priva-tisation of port and terminal services, including cargo handling in many countries, followed by a takeover of the privatised terminals by Global Terminal Operators, such as Hutchisons.

Meanwhile, shipping lines are de-veloping their own terminals also into a global network of terminals.

While at the conference, Terry heard an official say: “If your country is yet to have a global terminal operator, wait for the knock at the door, there soon will be.”

Two hours later, Terry heard about the proposed Lyttelton deal being an-nounced back in New Zealand.

This little anecdote gives you an idea of how fast this process is rolling out.

Ports of Convenience are where in-experienced, untrained, casual and non-union labour replaces skilled unionised workers.

This means attacking working condi-tions, employing unorganised workers and flying in cheap labour from coun-tries where trade unions are forbidden or severely restricted.

Earlier this year, workers united in Europe to defeat a second attempt to bring in ports of convenience through the European Parliament by a massive series of protests and strikes.

A planned industry or a chaotic industry?

The central question is: is the de-velopment of the industry going to be guided in a proactive and long-term way for the benefit of our communities?

Or is the development of the indus-try going to be a chaotic stampede driv-en by the narrow, short-term interests of local power groups and multinational corporates?

The answer will come from the result of our campaign to keep our ports pub-licly owned and controlled.

The shipping and fishing industry is already filled by exploited overseas labour.

Under free trade agreements, this kind of thing will be increase, and the first place they will try to get it happen-ing in will be ports.

It will be promoted as being essential to maintain New Zealand’s competitive-ness and labour market flexibility, and we will be told, as always, there is no alternative.

Few understand the implications of free trade

Few people understand the implica-tions of the free trade agreements that New Zealand is entering into.

There has been a deliberate policy of keeping the public excluded from any debate, and the whole issue has been reduced to how many dairy products we can sell to China.

Under free trade agreements, we may see the importation of exploited overseas workers sourced from the Third World , who are employed under the terms and conditions of their home countries.

This is already happening in over-seas ports of convenience.

Malaysian workers have already been replaced by imported Indonesian workers in privatized Malaysian ports.

This process is completely colour blind, the jobs will go to the workers with the lowest wages and job security.

The Maritime Union urges the local ownership and control of ports.

Ports must work together in a co-operative and long-term manner to plan for the future of this industry.

If they are unwilling to do so, the Union recommends that control of the ports passes into public ownership and management who can provide a system to ensure accountability and planning.

The central driver here has to be a grassroots campaign like KOPP, which at this stage is a local campaign, but may soon become a national campaign.

This issue is simply too important to be left in the hands of some global corporates working hand in hand with a self-interested local elite.

Lyttelton is the first battle in the struggle to keep control and ownership of our ports with local communities rather than globalized multinationals.

Let’s make sure we start how we intend to go on.

“Multinational control for private interests – or Community ownership for the public benefit?”

12

The Maritimes features here the second instalment from Chapter 2 of the forthcoming history of the New Zealand Seafarers Union, by historian David Grant.

by David Grant

The port of Auckland had a different culture. A small branch established there after Sangster’s visit soon col-lapsed although it was revived in April 1884.

Working conditions and pay rates in the north lagged behind those in the oth-er main ports where the Dunedin-based Union Company set the benchmark.

Inter-colonial and bigger coastal traders operated primarily out of south-ern ports whereas Auckland’s shipping

industry was characterized by a number of small coastal shipping companies and a larger number of the one-man-band, owner-operated mosquito fleet.

The Northern Steamship Company, the largest employer in the port, paid lower wages than the Union Company and refused to countenance an eight-hour working day.

The Federated Seamen’s Union drew up a formal constitution which was both bold and cautious.

Provisions included to ‘initiate re-form’, ‘sweep away abuses’, ‘counteract influences that may be working against members’ interests’, ‘watch over and guard the interests of its members wher-ever they may be assailed’.

Crucially, the members ‘had to bear in mind that the Federated Seamen’s Union was not formed in antagonism to the employers – ‘on the contrary they were required to show by their ability and strict attention to their duties that the fact of being members of the union is a guarantee to the owners of ships and shipping companies that they are consulting their common interests’.

These temperate words, which be-longed to Tom Dodson, the Union’s first secretary at Head Office, remained a tru-ism for much of the union’s long history.

Members paid an entry fee of £2 and subscribed 2 shillings every month.

By this time, with growing recession, most companies were setting seamen’s wages at £7 a month with an extra £1 for bosuns and lamp trimmers, an extra £2 for firemen and greasers and an extra £3 for donkeymen.

The union tried to persuade the companies for the crew to work only 8 hours in port (up to 12 hours had been common up to this time depending on demand) with two hours off for meals and sea watches in the stokeholds on the days of departing and arriving in port restricted to eight hours.

It also pressed for an overtime rate of 1s 6d an hour that included all work done by deckhands at sea between 5pm and 6am-and to firemen and trimmers cleaning, scouring or painting the ships between 5pm and 8am while it was berthed.

The organization was democratic. Members were encouraged to partici-pate in decision-making at the monthly meeting at which they were required to be present or be fined 2s 6d.

Every ship in port had to be repre-sented by one delegate if the crew had less than eight members, or two del-egates if the crew was bigger.

To while away downtime and to con-vey the angst of the magnitude of their working lives, many seafarers became bards or composers of poetry and song.

What the union wanted for its mem-bers however, and what the ship-owners and their agents were prepared to grant were two very different things.

Ship-owners were antagonistic towards the establishment of the union and most refused to employ union labour.

Advertisements in newspapers for ‘unemployed’ seamen and firemen to work on local steamers for ‘usual wages’ offered the carrot, as exemplified in one January 1881 newspaper notice, that ‘non-unionists can easily find em-ployment’, became common-place in the next few years.

Conversely, the new union began its long and hard fight to persuade tradi-tionally self-reliant New Zealand seamen

The exhilaration of the Jubilee Company

The Sailors Rest, Port Chalmers, circa 1895. Sailors came here to play cards, pool, eat and sleep sometimes, but it was not a pub – there was no alcohol or gambling (in theory.)

13

to pay a fee to join it in return for prom-ises of higher wages, better conditions and develop a more collective culture of resistance to unfair demands from employers, who, to date, ruled the roost.

Union membership did provide a new assertiveness for men to try to halt the downward trend in wages.

On 4 January 1881, seamen and firemen on board a number of steamers berthed in Wellington gave notice that in future they expected to work only eight hours a day while in port and that they would expect an extra 1s 6d for each hour of overtime worked. (Some seamen claimed that avaricious captains were making them work between 12 and 16 hours a day both in port and at sea.)

These were modest claims in the context of the time and ironically most seamen were earning only £6 a month which was less than they were earning in the late 1870s, sometimes significantly so – some Union Steamship Company em-ployees earning up to £8 monthly in 1878.

Employers, such as those of the Wellington and Wanganui Line, were having none of it.

Most crewmen on the coasters Stormbird, Huia and Manawatu belong-ing to this company reluctantly returned to their posts in the next few days before they sailed from Wellington but a number of Huia firemen, traditionally better-paid than the seamen, held out, were sacked and new men hired.

It sailed the following day. By now discontent had spread to fellow coasters, Patea, Jane Douglas and Tui although they eventually sailed with mostly new crews.

Despite assurances from the ships’ agents it later transpired that the Huia had sailed with a very inexperienced gang, only one or two of the men having been to sea before, the Tui sailed short-handed as did another steamer, the Napier when it sailed from Wellington on 7 January.

There was now a unwillingness, despite the burgeoning unemployment, for ‘free’ labour in Wellington to work these ships knowing the arduous nature of the job and the long hours they were expected to work.

Local newspaper, The New Zealand Times lambasted the union men as tak-ing ill-judged, ill-timed and unjustifiable actions arguing that freight business was low, ship owner and traders’ profits were decreasing and there was a danger that some local businesses might go to the wall, as well as boats being laid up.

Certainly, the country was in reces-sion but the shipping companies had overplayed their hands building or pur-chasing a large number of new steamers during the heady economic days of the 1870s and there was now a glut of ships.

Moreover, they were facing increas-ing competition from privately run scows and sailing craft many of whose owners were paying their crews higher wages to attract experienced men.

Nonetheless, the recessing economy and growing unemployment played into the employers’ hands.

When, on 14 January 1881, firemen on the Union Company’s Wakatipu, berthed in Dunedin, struck for the same wages as their Australian counterparts the company refused, sacked them and when they advertised for a new non-union crew, over 100 men offered themselves for employment.

At the same time The Times grizzled about the crowds of able-bodied men ‘loafing about the wharf in voluntary idleness’.

This was an expression however, not so much of unemployment per se but of union men who were no longer acquiescing to the tough circumstances on board ship without some say in their wages and conditions of work, and oth-ers who both refused to join the union-and could not find work-or rebuffed it.

While picket lines were a thing of the future, unionists and scabs some-times crossed paths in anger, and, often fuelled by alcohol, scrapped in bars, or on streets, or the waterfront itself.

Bruises and bleeding were the order of the day.

Serious injuries were rare. While these men often despised each

other there seemed to exist a kind of understanding that such conflict should not become too brutal.

In 1883 D A De Maus, a Port Chalmers-based seaman composed this ditty in praise of his new union.

To every British seamanThat sails along our coastFair privilege and equal rightsIs what our Union boasts.

For such a cause each noble heartShould all assistance lend,And strive with manly energyOur sailors to befriend.

Chorus:Let us sing!Is the motto of our UnionLet us ringAs loud as ‘ere we can-

Eight hours work and eight hours recreationEight hours rest are for the working man.

The distressed and distressed are sure,In times of dire dismay to have a hand thrownTo help them on their way.

Our sailors then with manly heartsWill answer duty’s call,And with the Union at their backWork for the good of all

Chorus:Success attend the UnionAnd those that’s at the helmAnd may they weather every stormThat would the cause o’erwhelmThe good they’ve done is bearing fruit,Through all the country’s length;So all together, pull togetherFor ‘Unity is Strength’.

Thoughts of a Seaman (1883)

Such discord served more for the protagonists to ‘stake positions’ and ‘win or maintain honour’ rather than re-sult in grave or life-threatening damage.

Later the Seamen’s Union told its members to ‘walk away’ from poten-tially violent confrontations with scabs – and others – as such displays of anger would damage the pride and credibility of the union as well as giving antago-nists the perfect metaphorical club with which to beat it around the head.

Through 1881 and 1882, disputes continued despite the Seamen’s Union growing in membership.

Ships continued to sail short handed, often behind time with traders’ and owners’ profits declining. (A third instalment from this chapter will be published in the next issue of the Maritimes.)

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by Terry Ryan Assistant General Secretary

Report on the ITF Dockers’ Committee meeting, Hong Kong,

23–27 May 2006As most readers – particularly

Seafarer members – will know, the FOC (Flag of Convenience) campaign has been run by the ITF (International Trans-port Federation) for over 50 years.

This campaign involves an inspec-torate comprising some 135 inspectors located in 46 countries.

While the main focus of the cam-paign is to secure jobs for domiciled seafarers on vessels beneficially owned in their own country, much of the campaign now centres on recurring acceptable labour agreements and ITF minimum wages for international crews on FOC vessels.

The FOC campaign was started as the logical response to social dumping which affected seafarers from tradi-tional seafaring nations including New Zealand.

Remember when over 100 NZ owned and registered ships plied the coast and international waters, the majority owned by the Union Steamship Co.?

Nowadays the ITF is extremely concerned that Flag of Convenience conditions are being brought ashore as multinational global giants cover our in-dustry as transport and logistic compa-nies, which have replaced the traditional shipping and stevedore companies.

This has resulted in threats to Dock-ers’ jobs, conditions, and ability to main-tain industrial influence.

The dockers’ section of the ITF meet-ing in Rio de Janeiro in 2005 identified the need to respond to global develop-ments in the ports sector, in particular the growing power of multi-national port companies.

These corporates are also known as Global Network Terminals, with the biggest being Hutchison Port Holdings, PSA, Dubai Ports World, APM Termi-nals, and SSA Marine.

Regional ITF meetings enabled ITF affiliated unions to share information, develop ideas for regional strategies, strengthen campaigning skills, iden-tify roles, and follow up priorities, to improve communications and build regional and company networks.

With the necessary groundwork cov-ered the ITF dockers’ section presented a draft campaign strategy to the ITF Dock-ers’ Section committee meeting in Hong Kong last month.

The ITF is now, after 4 years of dis-cussion, on the threshold of launching the POC campaign.

The official launch will take place in Durban in August 2006 at the ITF’s 4 yearly congress.

This will be the most exciting and difficult campaign since the FOC cam-paign was launched 50 years ago.

It will depend on strong, viable, and energetic dockers’ unions.

Can it be successful? The recent de-feat of the European Directive demon-strated dockers’ capacity to organise on a global basis.

Dockers have always been the strong arm of the FOC campaign, now they find themselves under siege.

Once our industry was run by small national stevedoring companies, now most are owned by multi-nationals.

The just in time phenomenon sees these giant logistic companies bypassing warehousing.

Almost all the world has the same problems with privatisation, casualisa-tion, and workers’ basic rights not being recognised, along with company or yel-low unions.

Global awareness is vital as ports are not separate entities as in the past.

Ports are now just a link in the chain of global networks of people who work for the same employers in different countries.

A database of all ports employers is being set up.

The general view is that the only way to prevent being picked off one by one is to work co-operatively together.

The POC campaign has the ability to target a single employer in a port.

It is envisaged that multi-national companies generally will come to accept they need the co-operation of dockers to maintain a successful door to door, just in time service, as we remain the stron-gest link in the chain.

We always perform best with our livelihood, conditions, and dignity intact.

The following bullet points should prove of interest to most:• ILWU President James Spinosa has completed his maximum 2 terms and has been replaced by Bob McIllraith.

• Singapore has overtaken Hong Kong as the port with the world’s largest throughput, followed by Los Angeles and Rotterdam. • A draft document on elections to the Dockers’ Section committee in line with the ITF constitution was presented, calling for affiliates to agree on country nominations.

More important all other section committees’ observers are forbidden.

The Dockers will allow observers provided they have something to say or contribute. A decision will be made in Durban. • ITF/IBF agreements have a clause ensuring that seafarers play no part in undertaking work traditionally under-taken by dockers. • Hutchinson’s work with organized labour in UK (Felixstowe), but they operate with casuals in Hong Kong, and would do same in UK if it were not for the strength of the TGWU (dockers’ union).• The ITF met with Maersk on a cross sectional basis (dockers/teamsters) to show Maersk our ability to work together. • The Dubai (DPW) – P&O merger has some difficulties with administration. NZ with no terminal will see DPW divest itself of its small holdings. • The Fair Practice Committee will meet early next year in Australia. • The ITF will undertake to invest resources in the important ports in the world for organising purposes, e.g. Hong Kong 12,000 dockers, but only 700 unionised. • In Nagoya, Japan, Toyota is develop-ing an experimental automatic robotic port. Computer manning and operation removes the need for any workers, other than computer operators.• Dole is closing its pineapple planta-tions in Hawaii and relocating them to Puerto Rico. The ILWU has requested an International Solidarity conference in 2008 prior to their contract talks. • Italy is the only country in Europe that has a law allowing self-handling by seafarers. • The ITF is the only world body with a global (multi-national) agreement.

Dockers meet for international talks in Hong Kong

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by Fred Salelea Maritime Union National Educator

Learning Rep Programme

While in Welling-ton attending the ACC/CTU Trainers’ Workgroup meeting recently, I made contact with Don Farr from the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) who heads up the Learning Rep Programme.

The Learning Reps programme is there to help you to access training and qualifications for your industry, and gain skills that will help you in your job and career.

There is a link here to Industry Training Organisations (ITO), where we would like to see a representative from the Maritime Union here in the future.

It’s clear there has been little or no support for some of our delegates and members after attending delegate train-ing courses.

If we use a programme available to our members within their own branch, who are willing and have the training available to gain the skill and knowl-edge to mentor and train others from our industry, this would give us an organizing education tool within our workplace.

The future for us and our educa-tion programme would be to have the employer acknowledge the importance of Industry training as an essential and positive step towards future economic development within our industry.

I believe that these ITO programmes will be invaluable within our Union education.

We would be able to develop learn-ing reps within every branch to train our other members.

Health and Safety TrainingWe recently ran three ACC/CTU

Worksafereps Health and Safety (H&S) stage 2 courses in Christchurch, Welling-ton and Tauranga.

The aim of these courses was to build upon Injury Prevention and the role of the H&S reps which carried on from stage 1.

The main focus of stage 2 is on inci-dent and accident investigation, hazard identification and hazard management to prevent illness and injury in the workplace.

We would like to thank Ray Fife and members from our Bluff branch who attended the 2 day H&S course in Christchurch, and Ryan Cox and Alan Holdt from New Plymouth branch who attended the Wellington 2 day course.

There was a good showing in Tau-ranga which included members that travelled from Auckland.

ACC/CTU Worksafereps TrainingACC/CTU Worksafereps Training

is now developing stage 3 H&S courses which will be focused on the rehabilita-tion of injured workers back into the workplace.

A key part of this is what role the H&S rep plays in an injury management program.

We have been asked as trainers to look into Employee Participation Agree-ments (EPA) which may be lacking in involvement of the Trained H&S rep in an Injury management programme.

The default system for H&S reps in the Health and Safety Act is to promote the interest of the employees, in particu-lar employees who have been harmed at work, including arrangements for rehabilitation and return to work.

Generally there has not been much involvement by Trained H&S reps throughout the country in Injury Man-agement Programmes – and it seems that in most cases management are deal-ing with our members without the H&S rep or union representation.

Union TrainingIn some cases the injured worker has

agreed to terms they don’t understand.These can include Individual Reha-

bilitation Plan (IRA), Individual Occupa-tional Assessment/ Individual Medical Assessment (IOA/IMA), or a Vocational Independent Occupational Assessment/ Vocational Independent Medical Assess-ment (VIOA/VIMA).

When the injured worker gets into this process without union help they find themselves with problems.

It’s important that the H&S rep is involved in representing and supporting the worker right from the start of when the worker is injured.

Therefore it is essential that we have an agreed policy and a review of our Employee Participation Agreements that highlights H&S reps’ involvement in an injury Management Programme along with time to perform the role of a H&S rep in the Workplace.Contact Fred Salelea on mobile 0212291432 or email fred.salelea@munz.org.nzWebsite www.munz.org.nz/training.htmlwww.worksafereps.org.nz

Bluff and Lyttelton members at a recent training course in Lyttelton (photo by Fred Salelea)

Fred Salelea, Phil Spanswick and Selwyn Russell from Mt Maunganui at a recent CTU/ACC Workshop

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Crew members from the Malakhov Kurgan, May 2006 (photo courtesy of the Militant)

Hunger Strike on the Malakhov KurganA group of Ukrainian crew onboard the fishing trawler “Malakhov Kurgan” in Lyttelton resolved their dispute with employers just before this issue of the Maritimes went to print.

The FV Malakhov Kurgan is owned by the Ukrainian state fishing company and was operating in a joint venture with the New Zealand company United Fisheries.

The crew contacted the ITF through the local Maritime Union branch with concerns about their lack of pay.

An initial group of crew members re-turned home. Of the remaining group, a further 19 crew members agreed in May 2006 to a deal mediated by the Depart-ment of Labour.

The remaining 8 crew members de-clined to accept this deal and remain on board the vessel, as they believe they are entitled to more compensation.

The Maritime Union supported their action with the view that all crews in New Zealand waters are entitled to at least the minimum wage for the time worked.

We were also concerned at the ap-proach of the Department of Labour towards the issue.

The Maritime Union have been fortu-nate in that the crew members have been aware of the wider situation and we have been working closely with them.

It was also useful that we had access to a native Ukrainian speaker who has been assisting with communication with the crew.

The Union has been in direct com-munication with the Minister of Immi-

gration and the Department of Labour on this specific case.

We have also informed the media about the issue which has resulted in national coverage of the crew’s plight.

Other issues that have arisen in-clude the pressure put on crew by their employers in the Ukraine, including written communications telling them they were bringing their country (and even President) into disrepute, and a threat they would have to pay their own fares home if they did not return by a certain time.

The crew were trying to draw atten-tion to their demands – that they want to be paid the New Zealand minimum wage for their time working in New Zealand waters.

According to a Department of La-bour leaflet that has been distributed to overseas crews, this is exactly what they are entitled to under New Zealand law.

The 8 remaining crew members went on strike onboard the vessel in Lyttelton Harbour after it was laid up.

Mechanical problems forced it to return to port where it has stayed ever since.

Yet other crew members have ac-cepted payments that are “confidential” through a mediation process undertaken through the Department of Labour.

When the Maritime Union asked whether the DOL have a definite figure on how much this crew were being paid per hour, we were told the Department “is still investigating.”

The Maritime Union has also asked if the other crew members have been paid

their legal entitlement to at least the New Zealand minimum wage for work done while in New Zealand waters – and how this amount was calculated.

The Union is concerned the Depart-ment of Labour has helped cut a deal where a group of crew members have been paid under the minimum wage.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has been actively working with the ITF to ensure crews aboard foreign flagged vessels in New Zealand waters are pro-tected from exploitation and abuse.

The conditions of crew aboard many overseas flagged and joint venture fish-ing vessels operating in New Zealand waters has been an ongoing concern.

The Maritime Union has provided assistance to distressed crews, in con-junction with the ITF.

Our Maritime Union officials act as ITF inspectors in New Zealand ports.

The Maritime Union has also called for action from the Government and deals with the relevant authorities on a regular basis.

We achieved an acceptable outcome for the crew in this case.

Our wider intention is to achieve the proper regulation of the industry to pro-tect the rights of both local and overseas workers in New Zealand waters.

International report on crew abuse highlights abuse in New Zealand watersAs the Maritime Union fights for the rights of seafarers in New Zealand waters, a new report from the Interna-tional Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to the United Nations paints a disturbing picture of abuses of human rights at sea.

The report names the case of the ‘Sky 75’ in New Zealand waters as one of “ruthless exploitation of fishing crews.”

The New Zealand ITF and Maritime Union took action when 10 Indonesian crew left the Korean registered fishing vessel ‘Sky 75’ in the Port of Nelson in September 2005.

17

by Kathy Whelan

On 14 March 2006 the ITF Office in Wellington received information that 9 Indonesian fishermen from the Korean owned and registered fishing vessel Marinui had jumped ship in Dunedin claiming severe mental and physical abuse.

The Marinui, with a crew of five Ko-rean officers and 20 Indonesian fisher-men, was fishing south of New Zealand for squid with a New Zealand Joint Venture operator.

The allegations of the crew included incidents of long hours of work without a break, forced to stand naked on deck in very cold conditions, lack of medical treatment, and being hit.

They described the abuse in graphic detail on national television and the only one of the nine who could speak English made the statement “we are not treated as seamen, we are treated as slaves.”

The ITF, while conducting its own investigation, alerted the Department of Labour (DOL) who are responsible for the labour conditions imposed when granting working permits for foreign fishermen working in the New Zealand fishery. The DOL inspector undertook an investigation.

The Korean owners were anxious to remove the crew from New Zealand and the ITF were able to mobilize its net-work in New Zealand which included Maritime Unions, government agencies and the Indonesian Embassy.

Acting on behalf of the ITF, Les Wells and John Jeffery of the Lyttelton Branch of the Maritime Union acted as a buf-fer between the owners and the crew, interviewing the fishermen in Christ-church and hearing further accounts of the abuse.

They found that the Indonesian fishermen were on a contract of employ-ment that provided a payment of US$6 per day total – with no percentage of the catch or other payments.

In Auckland Garry Parsloe from of the Maritime Union and Derek Craig of the AMEA finalized an agreement which provided full repatriation and transfers for the crew back pay of US$5000.

Under law the crew are entitled to the New Zealand minimum wages while working in New Zealand waters.

Any further payments due to the crew will be made into their bank accounts once the calculation has been done and the DOL have completed their investigation.

This case attracted wide media at-tention and allowed both the ITF and the Maritime Union to highlight our case for this industry to be regulated so that at point of engagement proper and fair agreements with minimum employ-ment, health and safety standards are a prerequisite to any application for crews coming down into our fishery.

We have been lobbying Government on this for at least a decade.

A clear message has got to be sent to foreign owners and operators that we will not tolerate such levels of abuse and exploitation in our waters.

The Maritime Union and ITF partici-pated in a CTU Migration Group recently which was addressed by the Minister of Immigration David Cunliffe.

Whilst reporting on some positive initiatives in respect to New Zealand im-migration issues, he singled out the fish-ing industry as one that needed urgent attention and one he would focus on.

We welcome this and hope that it leads to some guidelines and processes that will create a fair industry giving those who work in proper social and industrial protections.

The case of the MarinuiFour crew members from the Marinui, March 2006 (photo courtesy of the Otago Daily Times)

Crew members on the ‘Sky 75’ re-ported abuse, harsh working conditions and extremely poor conditions.

The ITF report “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” warns that as a result of recruit-ing scams, vessel abandonment and virtual forced labour, some seafarers and fishers are suffering horrific abuse.

The report is being presented at a United Nations maritime law summit held in New York from 12-16 June 2006.

The report exposes some of the terri-ble conditions inflicted on some seafar-ers and fishers, and highlights systemic failures in regulation and practice.

“The maritime and fishing industries continue to allow astonishing abuses of human rights of those working in the sector,” says the report.

Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says the report totally vindicates the strong stance of the Union on the issue.

Since the Sky 75 there have been several other serious incidents since the ‘Sky 75’, including crews jumping ship from the ‘San Liberatore’ and ‘Marinui’, and more recently a Ukrainian crew onboard the ‘Malakhov Kurgan’ in Lyt-telton who had to go on strike to be paid the minimum wage.

“These are just the cases we have picked up on – I have no doubt these are the tip of the iceberg,” says Mr Hanson.

The ITF report follows a 2005 joint report from the Australian Government, the ITF, and the global conservation organization WWF, that revealed the pil-laging of threatened fish stocks, human rights abuses and global pirate fishing operations were all linked problems.

The ITF report Out of Sight, Out of Mind can be downloaded at the webpage listing ITF publications:http://www.itfglobal.org/infocentre/pubs.cfm

An article on the “Sky 75” case is in the December 2005 issue of the Maritimes magazine, which can be downloaded at:http://www.munz.org.nz/PDF/Maritimes_December_2005.pdf

The Australian Government/ITF/WWF report “The Changing Nature of High Seas Fishing: How Flags of Convenience provide cover for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing” can be downloaded at:http://assets.panda.org/downloads/iiumr.pdf

18

by Kathy Whelan

“The Swedish Seamen’s Union policy is that all crew members of a Swedish flag vessel receive Swedish rates of pay and conditions unless there is a Union agreement otherwise . . . Papuan sea-men on the Swedish ship Delos were being paid $43 monthly instead of the Swedish rates of $272 monthly until action was taken in Sydney by the Sea-men’s Union of Australia.”

Those were the opening paragraphs of an article in the Seamen’s Union of Australia Journal in October 1971 which reported a successful action by that Union in securing a back pay for the Papuan seafarers.

Go forward 35 years to 2006 and not a lot had changed since that time.

The Swires owned subsidiary China Navigation Company, a Hong Kong based company which has 14 national flag vessels employing non domiciled seafarers, pay a rate to their seafarers in excess of ILO minimum rates – except to the Papuan seafarers who man 6 of those ships and were being paid just over half the rate of other seafarers em-ployed by that Company.

Four of those 6 vessels (Aotearoa Chief, Coral Chief, Papuan Chief and Tasman Chief) trade to and around New Zealand and in routine inspections over 2004/05 ITF New Zealand put the com-pany under notice to correct the situa-tion and move these vessels on to their Hong Kong National rates.

We also made contact with the PNG Maritime Workers Union and advised them that we needed these vessels to comply with international minimums and we would give them as much sup-port as we could to achieve it.

The Papua New Guinea Maritime Workers Union commenced negotiations with the Company in September of 2005 and did not make a lot of progress.

The company responded to claims to move to ILO minimums by threatening to replace them with cheaper labour.

In April of 2006 the PNG Union asked the ITF if they would send their New Zealand coordinator to assist them with the negotiations and the ITF agreed.

The negotiations were set down over a 3 day period from 22–24 April and I went to Port Moresby and joined the Union negotiating team who met with reps from China Navigation Company Limited and the PNG Employers Fed-eration.

The framework of the PNG Maritime Workers Union Agreement for their members employed on China Naviga-tion vessels was very good.

It didn’t need a lot of work other than the inclusion of the dockers’ clause and some adjustment to hours of work and references to SOLAS and STCW in the appropriate clauses to ensure com-pliance with international standards and conventions.[continued next page]

ITF co-ordinator Kathy Whelan with crew of the Papua Chief

International minimums achieved for crew

All signed and sealed with negotiating team Graham Proud (China Navigation), Tau Nana (PNG Employers Federation), Kathy Whelan (ITF), Douglas Gadebo and Reg McAlister (PNG Maritime Union) and a rep of PNG Labour Department

19

ITF Profile:

Reg McAlisterby Kathy Whelan

Reg McAlister is the General Secretary of the Papua New Guinea Maritime Workers Union.

A lot of people know Reg, but not many know much about him.

Meet Reg and you will understand why, as Reg is a bit of an enigma, a very quiet and modest man who doesn’t like talking about himself.

Over the four days that I worked with him in Port Moresby on the ne-gotiations as reported elsewhere in the Maritimes, I extracted a little of his life.

Reg is an Australian who grew up in Bankstown in a strong working class and union family.

In the early 1970s as a young man he embarked on a career as an accountant and was sent to Papua New Guinea to work as a junior clerk for his company.

He immediately formed a bond with the local people and early in the piece was sacked from his accountancy firm for showing an interest in the develop-ing trade union activity in PNG.

Strapped for cash and with no fare home he took a casual job on the wharf and joined the Papua New Guinea Cen-tral District Waterside Workers Union in January 1972, and from there started his amazing life as a union activist and leader in the PNG Maritime Industry.

Reg was elected as the General Secretary of the Union in 1976 and was instrumental in bringing about the amalgamation of the PNG Wharfies and Seamens Union in 1978 followed by the other ports’ unions.

The current Union was registered in January 1980 and is called the Papua New Guinea Maritime Workers Union.

It is a strong active union with 4,000 members made up of 900 Seafarers, 300 port workers (harbour workers), and 2400 wharfies.

400 truck drivers have recently joined the Union in response to a current campaign to organize that industry, with a potential to double that number.

It should be noted that the first ship held up outside of Australia in the Patrick’s dispute was held up by this Union, the Papua New Guinea Maritime Union in Port Moresby.

Just before I arrived Reg had just finished his submissions to a Govern-ment commission against the removal of coastal cabotage.

I was able to tell him and the union executive of the dramatic and rapid ef-fects on the New Zealand industry when cabotage was removed.

Reg McAlister is a pivotal person in the PNG Trade Union Movement.

He is a current member (having already served 3 terms) on the Public Service Tribunal as the workers’ rep and he is the Trade Union congress rep on the National Provident Fund, and he has represented the PNG movement at inter-national level (ILO and ITF) many times.

He now takes a back seat in the inter-national arena to give experience to his younger officials.

Life in PNG is harsh compared to ours and I naively asked why an Australian would choose such a lifestyle and he quietly replied that if he had his time over again he wouldn’t change a second of it.

Talk to his members and very quick-ly you feel the respect and mana that they hold for Reg, he is not a white man living in PNG, he is a Papuan leader and he is one of them.

I enjoyed your friendship, comradeship and working with you Reg, thank you.

Our focus was on the rates of pay.The agreement included superan-

nuation provisions (a PNG statutory requirement) and Long Service Leave which we wanted to maintain.

We concentrated on putting together a package deal that would protect those provisions and equal or better the Hong Kong National rates.

We achieved our goal and the PNG Maritime Workers Union and the PNG Employers Federation (representing China Navigation) signed an agreement which moved the rates to above Hong Kong National rates and equated to an increase of 37%.

Printed below are the monthly salary figures for an AB: ILO Minimum US$878Hong Kong National Agreement US$895Cnco/PNG Enterprise Agreement US$964

I was very privileged to be asked to assist the PNG Maritime Workers Union.

They are a very strong, principled and proud Union and I thank them – Reg, Douglas, Alex, Vani and Ruby – for their comradeship and hospitality, an experience I will keep forever.

I also want to make special men-tion of my dear friend and comrade Pat Geraghty, former Federal Secretary of the SUA.

As soon as I knew I was going to PNG I spoke with him and he generous-ly talked me through the SUA involve-ment and assistance to PNG maritime workers over the years and copied me some material which was extremely useful in negotiations and gave me an excellent grounding.

20

Port Roundup:Bluff

by Ray Fife

Southern Cross StevedoringAs everyone

is aware Southern Cross Stevedoring is

again in the restructuring process. Conventional cargo is slowly

diminishing. Stevedoring companies are fighting over lesser cargo volumes, and therefore driving down the prices to retain or gain extra work.

We workers are the ones who are directly affected when the company insists that to remain viable, they need reductions in wages and more flexible working conditions, along with reduc-ing the number of permanents.

The industry needs to take a long hard look at itself and find solutions so that our members who are highly skilled and efficient workers have some form of job security.

Great South BasinThere is a huge gas and oil prospect

off the bottom of the South Island. Exxon Mobil, the world’s biggest oil

company, is trying to get its hands on exploration rights in an area that may contain gas and oil worth up to $1285 billion.

The exploration permit in the Great South Basin was held by industry min-now Bounty Oil, but Government agency Crown Minerals has revoked the permit.

It wants to offer other blocks in the area for international tender.

We will be watching the outcome closely, as there is potential to create more jobs for both wharfies and seafarers.

Interport SportsA small party of five golfers partici-

pated in the inter port sports tourna-ment held in the Mount.

Everyone enjoyed a well organised tournament, that turned on excellent weather conditions every day.

(Congratulations must go to Ray Fife who won the Flett Black Memorial Cup for Best Par Competition.)

Our many thanks to the organisers in the Mount who made it all possible.

Bluff is the host port for the 2007 tournament.

A committee has been set up, boats booked to cater for the fishing and the Queens Park golf course for the golf.

If enough entries, indoor sports will be held as well.

The tournament is open to all Mari-time Union members and invited guests and if you want to enjoy Bluff hospital-ity come on down.

Walk for LifeThree of our members who have lost

loved ones to cancer, were sponsored by our Branch to participate in the Walk For Life relay, which is held in Invercargill every two years.

Keith Tangney, Ross Tangney and Dave McKay along with 66 other teams walked for 22 hours to raise $165,000 for a very worthwhile cause.

Well done boys.

Bluff TragedyThe Bluff community was dealt a

savage blow when the fishing trawler Kotuku capsized in Foveaux Strait on Saturday 13 May resulting in the loss of 6 lives.

The fishing trawler, which was on its way back from the Muttonbird (Titi) Islands off the south-eastern coast of Stewart Island sank after being hit by a rogue wave.

The Kotuku went down so quickly there was no time to get to life jackets, send out a mayday call or activate emer-gency beacons.

It is the country’s worst maritime disaster in 20 years.

Three generations of the Topi family and a close friend were lost.

The funeral service was held on Sat-urday 20 May. Bluff came to a standstill as an estimated 3000 mourners gathered to share their grief.

With Bluff being a small close knit community a number of our members are related to the families, are friends of them and have worked along side them.

Our condolences go out to all family and whanau.

Retirement – Dave McKayDave McKay has decided to call it

quits and officially retires on 11 June.Dave was President of our Branch

for a number of years and served on the executive as well.

Dave is a good unionist, worked hard on behalf of the members, and is held in high regard by the membership.

He will be missed and we wish him well in his future ventures.

by Joe Fleetwood

TollAll going to plan,

the Toll contract should be signed this month.

The contract is a rollover for 12 months with a 4.5% wage increase with CPI inflation adjustments at six monthly intervals.

We will initiate bargaining at the end of August 2006 so remits will be coming in from all vessels.

We also have two ships going to dry dock. Arahura looks like Auckland, the Challenger looks like Brisbane, so two run agreements need to be secured before they go.

Strait ShippingThere is a new ship on the way which

seems to be plagued with breakdowns. The branch is in talks with the com-

pany over manning issues for the deck/engine room/and the catering depart-ments, also discussions about the vessel Kent going on coastal routes. Strait has a current contract through until June 2007.

NIWAThis contract was for two years and

expires in September 2006.We will be initiating bargaining at the

end of August 2006 and are looking for-ward to receiving remits from the vessel.

Off ShoreWe have signed off on the offshore

oil/gas operations multi-party collective agreement.

This will run for a 12 month term ending 31 October 2006.

We are looking over the offshore solutions agreement which sees some positive moves forward for the contract.

The term for this agreement is for four years June 2005—June 2009.

It looks like two floating production storage and offloading facilities (FPSO) are on the way to New Zealand.

Port Roundup:Wellington Seafarers

21

by Les Wells

Lyttelton Stevedores

(Southern Cross)As I write this,

Lyttelton Stevedores members are still in a position of not knowing whether they have jobs or not.

It has been a very trying time over the last few weeks for the men not knowing one way or the other what is happening.

I must comment on the way the Company (Southern Cross Stevedores) have conducted themselves throughout, I believe their approach has been very unprofessional in all aspects and has cre-ated far more stress than is necessary.

TollToll is moving along with the addi-

tion of two GWE’s.They would appear to have a steady

flow of ships to keep them busy. I would like to take this opportunity

to congratulate Graeme Chandler on becoming Vice President unopposed.

Lyttelton Port CompanyThe members at Lyttelton Port of

Christchurch have taken the company to tribunal to get the bonus that was not paid to them last year.

This only applied to the members from MUNZ, RMTU, Foremen’s Union and Tally Clerks that are covered by the collective contract.

It has been very informative as far as the information we have found out about previous payments that were made.

PacificaWe have made cuts in all areas to my

knowledge with the Seamen and Whar-fies losing two men each.

Currently the company is looking at what assistance the Foremen can give them to make savings.

SeamenI am of the belief that all Seamen are

employed from this branch – either on the coast or in the offshore.

CenotaphOn the 5 February 2006 a Sermon

took place at the Lyttelton Cenotaph to dedicate a Combined Services plaque – Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Navy – at the Lyttelton war memorial to recognize the contribution and equal-ity of the service given by the Merchant Navy in both World Wars.

For me it was nice to see so many retired seamen and retired watersiders that had gone to sea in attendance.

It was brought home to me how important this was when the minister spoke of an elderly lady he visited who had lost a brother at sea during the Sec-ond World War.

She had been brought to tears by the fact that he and other seamen that had been lost during the war had finally received the recognition they richly deserved.

To see that fourth crest alongside the other three crests of the combined service meant to me that history had finally been corrected, and members of the Merchant Navy who had given their lives for their country have finally received the recognition they earned by making the ultimate sacrifice.

Port Roundup:Lyttelton Local 43

Questions from the floor at the Keep Our Port Public Meeting, Christchurch, 10 April 2006

90 Day BillThe Wellington Seafarers Branch is

strongly supporting the Union campaign against the National Party 90 Day Bill.

We have already had some ads in local papers.

Both the Maritime Union and RMTU are involved in this joint campaign.

There is a joint union and public meeting on the 90 day bill on Mon-day 19 June, 7pm, at the Johnsonville Community Hall, 3 Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville.

A joint union and public march has been organized for the 20 July to Parlia-ment in protest against the 90 day no rights bill.

Western Australia MUA Conference

The Wellington Seafarers Branch has been invited to attended the Western Australia state offshore conference of the MUA from 26–28 July, along with in-ternational guests from the USA, Timor, Philippines and UK.

ILOI have contacted the office of the

Minister of Transport Annette King to discuss some important maritime issues.

These include ratification of the ILO 186 “Seafarers Bill of Rights” and labour standards, the open coast policy, the exploitation of foreign seafarers on the New Zealand coast, and the problems with casualization and privatization on the waterfront.

We are currently trying to firm up a date for this meeting.

New ExecutiveThe new Wellington Seafarers execu-

tive is President – Mike Clark, for now the current Vice president Barry Milling-ton, Secretary/Treasurer Joe Fleetwood, and Executive members Billy Wright, Vickey Maloney and John Shaw.

We will be re-opening branch elec-tions for positions of Vice President, Womens officer, and two or three more Executive members.

22

Port Roundup:Auckland Seafarers

by Garry Parsloe

May Day

On Monday 1 May 2006 we assembled at the bottom of Queen Street at 5pm where

we offered speakers an open mike to deliver workers’ issues to the rally.

An hour earlier the youth rally was held at Aotea Square and after the speeches the young activists marched down Queen Street and joined our rally.

At 5.30pm we marched from the bot-tom of Queen Street up to Aotea Square.

At Aotea Square the marches were treated to a BBQ (supplied by the Mad Butcher) and cooked by Todd Douglas and Phil Graham both from AWUNZ.

As Convenor of the Auckland Coun-cil of Trade Unions I had the privilege of being the first speaker where I delivered the following:

“Thank you everyone for gathering here today to mark May Day.

I would like to acknowledge every-one who was come today, from many different unions.

I would particularly like to welcome the younger activists who are joining us today as part of the Radical Youth action against youth rates.

The success of the “Super Size My Pay ” campaign has seen a resurgence in unionism for young workers, and we all have a responsibility to support any efforts to build collectivity and solidar-ity amongst young workers and school students.

Welcome to May Day.May Day (May 1) is International

Labour Day and is marked by workers

around the world as the day to celebrate the success of the organised labour movement and to highlight the oppres-sion and inequalities that still persist.

Here in New Zealand there are a number of activities that are happening today and around 1 May to mark that day.

As a union movement we have cam-paigned hard in the last twelve months on wages.

Today the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union launched its 2006 stop work meetings for the large metals collective agreements, claiming a 7% increase, and earlier high profile cam-paigns such as “SuperSizeMyPay.Com” and “Clean Start – Fair Deal for Clean-ers” have put the issue of low wages firmly on the agenda.

We will continue to campaign on low wages, individually as unions, activists and community groups, and collectively through the Council of Trade Unions un-der the banner Make Low Wages History.

This year minimum wages, and in particular the discriminatory practice of youth rates, has been high on the agenda for the union movement.

Through a number of high profile actions by Super Size My Pay and Radi-cal Youth, amongst others, we have seen public support swing in behind the cam-paign to eliminate discrimination on the basis of age – in the form of youth rates.

Radical Youth have been exercising their democratic right to protest, and as CTU President Ross Wilson said on March 21, after their first rally, “We can’t provide in our law for young workers to be paid less than adults and then deny them the right to protest against that discrimination.”

That we have a low wages crisis in New Zealand is now widely accepted.

Our job is to get rid of poverty wages. Workers in industries such as cleaning,

clothing and textiles, aged care, fast food and retail are often on or close to minimum

wage levels and so we want a minimum wage of $12 now – not in 2008.

But we are also saying to employers that they need to take responsibility for the poverty wages that they continue to pay.

Unions want employers to agree to a $12 minimum wage now.

Union campaigns such as the EPMU metals campaign launched today, Super-SizeMyPay, Healthy Pay for Healthy Hos-pitals, Fair Share for Aged Care and the NDU Supermarket campaign are showing workers that to get a fair deal at work and get rid of low minimum wages they need to bargain collectively in unions.

Another area where our attention has shifted in recent months is staving off an attack on core workers’ rights from the National Party, in the form of its 90 days probationary employment bill.

This is an absolute attack on the rights of all workers.

Although a 90 day probation period will have particular effect for vulnerable workers such as casuals and temporary workers, let us not forget that it will af-fect every single one of us, each time we start a new job.

Clothing workers, teachers, engi-neers, surgeons, clerical workers, tertiary academics, supermarket workers – every single worker would be exposed to un-fair sacking if the bill comes to pass.

We need to organize to kill the bill, and make sure that we are all making submissions to the parliamentary com-mittee considering the bill.

In particular we need to convince the smaller parties that supported the bill through to the select committee that it will not help New Zealand workplaces and workers.

The Bill is called the Employment Relations – Probationary Employment Amendment Bill.

As Sue Bradford has aptly put it, this bill could instead be called the Employ-ment Relations – Kick Vulnerable Work-ers in The Head Bill. Submissions close on May 19 for this bill.

Let’s also remember that this bill truly is the thin end of the wedge for National, who given the chance would also do away with the health and safety reps and hazard notice system, get rid of the fourth week of annual leave by leaving it up for “negotiation” and abol-ish time and half for working on public holidays, not to mention bringing back an industrial relations legislative system like the Employment Contracts Act.

As International Workers’ Day is also just that, international, let’s also take stock of what is happening globally.

Our nearest neighbours in Australia are coming to terms with the draconian industrial relations legislation that was pushed onto Australian communities by the Howard government.

Maritime Union members taking part in the CTU campaign against low wages, Queen Street, Auckland

23

CTU Low Wage Campaign

On Monday 20 March 2006, CTU Unions Auckland held a Rally at the bottom of Queen Street to mark the launching of the Council of Trade Unions’ Low Wage Campaign.

We had a reasonable turnout of Un-ion officials, delegates and rank and file activists from most Unions handing out the CTU Leaflets to the public.

It was great to see so many young Unionists there with some of them on the end of loud-hailers and many others interfacing with the public.

Whilst this campaign is just getting warmed up it is important that we run an Industrial Campaign alongside a Po-litical Campaign, and that we link into more and more other Campaigns.

It is also very important that we raise the level of activity and work hard to get the message out.

This came into effect a month ago, and already employers are sacking workers for no reason.

They have pledged to fight it and over-throw it, and we should stand by them and support them in doing so, just like many of us did at rallies here in Auckland, but also in Wellington and Christchurch, late last year to coincide with Australia’s national day of community protest.

Let us also remember though what organized protest did in France – in stopping a regressive youth job law.

They overthrew it by standing togeth-er in opposition, and we can do that with the National Party probation bill too.

So thank you for coming, and mark-ing May Day today.”

The second speaker was Sue Brad-ford from the Green Party. Sue spoke on workers’ rights and how the Greens will continue to fight for workers.

The next speaker was Rick Newlyn, Assistant National Secretary from the Maritime Union of Australia. Rick as always gave an excellent presentation on workers’ issues.

The final speaker was Jill Ovens from the SFWU. Jill reported on some of the struggles that her Union is involved in.

After the speeches we went down to the Maritime Club in Beach Road where we continued the May Day celebrations well into the evening.

The May Day Committee will meet again early next year to plan for the 2007 May Day activities with a clear agenda to ensure that 2007 is as successful as this year was.

Garry Parsloe and Mike Jackson at Mike’s retirement function, 22 April 2006

Mike Jackson Retirement Function

On 22 April 2006 we held a function for Mike Jackson to celebrate his retire-ment from a lifetime’s commitment to the Trade Union Movement.

Whilst I did not have the luxury of knowing Mike as long as most of those who attended the Function, it became clear (whilst listening to the speeches) as to the massive input that Mike has put into the Trade Union Movement.

You only had to look around the hall and see all the Members of Parliament, Union Officials, Council of Trade Union Executive Members, Union Delegates, Union Activists and Trade Unionists to realize what an impact Mike had on workers’ lives and again on what a mas-sive input that Mike put into the Trade Union Movement and the struggle to improve all workers’ conditions.

I am sure that whilst Mike is going into retirement we can all be sure that Mike will be part of the ongoing strug-gle and we will see him involved in that struggle on our picket lines.

It was a fantastic evening and it was great to see such a huge turnout acknowledging Mike’s massive contri-bution to the Trade Union Movement.

Port Roundup:Mt Maunganui Tauranga

by Phil Spanswick

The Branch recently hosted a Delegates’ seminar and a Health and Safety Seminar which were run by

Fred Salalea, the Union training officer.The Port of Tauranga Health and

Safety Forum has been regularly meet-ing to discuss and resolve health and safety issues in the Port.

I am the current representative for the Maritime Union.

Another recent move on the wharf is the buyout of NZL by New Zealand Management.

It will be interesting to see how the company will fare.

There is currently a campaign to un-ionise truck drivers run by the RMTU.

Tauranga Stevedoring is currently going through redundancies at the mo-ment.

The negotiations/consultations are being run by the National Office.

Log Marshalling is slowly picking up which will be of benefit to the port.

There has been a change of leader-ship at Toll Owens with Sean Bolt taking over from Mark Cairns.

On the job in New Plymouth (photo by Shane Parker)

24

6th Annual Ports and Shipping Forum26-27 April, 2006by Garry Parsloe

On the 26–27 April I attended the 6th Annual Ports and Shipping Forum held at the Rydges Hotel in Auckland.

On day one we heard from the Gen-eral Manager of Maritime Security at Maritime New Zealand, Bill Blaikie.

He addressed the Forum under the heading “Role of Ports and Shipping lines in improving operational efficien-cies and heightening security controls.”

He spoke of the need to protect New Zealand from any terrorist attack and expanded on how the most likely attack would be through Ports.

He went on to state that in response to the 9/11 attack, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) developed the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code to provide security meas-ures, and the ISPS came into effect on 1 July 2004.

He went on to talk about the United States Coast Guards’ ‘Best Practice’ and how that impacts on New Zealand’s secu-rity regarding the control of passengers, crews and visitors in Port Security areas.

He stated that approximately 99% of New Zealand’s international trade by volume is dependent on shipping.

While the overall assessment from the New Zealand Police is that the threat from terrorism is very low, New Zea-land could be seen as a softer and more accessible target.

The first speaker on day two was Don McLeod, Chairman of the New Zealand Shipper’s Council.

He addressed the Forum under the heading “Challenges in larger volume shipping in Australia.”

He spoke on trade balances, the position of the New Zealand Shipper’s Council in lobbying Government on leg-islation issues, and manufacturing sites around Australia and New Zealand.

He raised the question “Is New Zea-land a hub or a spoke?”

He felt that there is a difference in this question between break-bulk cargo and containers, and a lot relates to the changing supply and demand situation.

Shipping lines and routes are largely controlled from the overseas parent companies.

Again on the question of “Hub or Spoke”, one has to look at Container de-mand impacting on services and costs, internal hubbing and Inland Ports.

He stated that there would be growth in Inland Ports.

The second speaker on day two was Chief Executive of Ontrack, David George.

He addressed the Forum under the heading “the Vision for New Zealand’s Rail Infrastructure.”

He stated that Ontrack’s vision was to make rail a sustainable element of New Zealand’s transport network.

They were investing more than $200 million of Government Funding to improve rail infrastructure, following a substantial period of underinvestment.

Each week, Ontrack’s Train Control Operations manage the movement of 900 freight trains and well over 3,000 passenger trains.

Rail tends to be more competitive in the high tonnage-long distance freight market.

He thought freight volumes would double within the next 50 years.

The first speaker after smoko on day two was Peter Dawson, Partner of Oceanlaw New Zealand.

He addressed the Forum on “Some Quiet Legal Revolutions and Future Developments in Maritime Law.”

He stated that disputes between Vessel Owners and Shipyards provide fertile grounds for litigation.

He spent some time speaking on the liability of Classification Societies.

He then addressed the issue of the grounding of the Jody F Millennium in the Port of Gisborne.

He said that he found the current legislation confusing, especially section 60A of the Maritime Transport Act, Rule 90 of the Rules, and these rules are cur-rently being reviewed.

He ended by discussing incidents with the Inter Island Ferries, mainly in the area of personal injury settlements.

The second speaker after smoko was Professor of Transport Studies at Lincoln University, Chris Kissling.

He addressed the Forum under the heading “Development and Trends in Lo-gistics and Supply Chain Management.”

He gave a case study that looked at the cool chain for meat and said that value needs to be added when moving a product.

The value of any perishable disap-pears rapidly if it is not picked, packed and positioned in a timely fashion.

He concluded with the view that the movers and shakers in supply chain management in New Zealand need to promote communications technology to ensure New Zealand remains competi-tive in a global trade environment.

The first speaker after lunch was Rod Grout, President of New Zealand Ship-ping Federation and CEO of Pacifica Shipping Group.

He addressed the Forum under the heading “A Superior Strategy for New Zealand Coastal Shipping.”

He addressed the need for a greater use of Coastal Shipping which meant fuel efficiency, environmental and social benefits – but we are running out of time.

He spoke on the proposed venture by Lyttleton Port with HPH and how Otago stopped the plan with a 15% raid.

He said that port owners downplay the coastal ship role and this is a short-sighted attitude.

He went on to talk about the grow-ing importance of trans-shipments.

Leading hub ports have many spokes, and feeder services can com-mand higher priority.

He went on to say that for New Zealand ports, rail and road are main feeders and coastal ships must play a bigger role in the future.

He said road transport was under mounting pressure with fuel costs and road congestion.

Transport solutions need Govern-ment help and only a fraction of the cur-rent investment in transport is needed to assist coastal shipping to be revitalized and totally efficient.

The second speaker after lunch was Willie Van Heusden, Group Manager, Schenker NZ and President CBAFF.

He addressed the Forum on “Global Trends and Developments in the Freight Forwarding Market.”

He also spoke on the rationalisation of New Zealand Ports.

New Zealand currently has ten inter-national ports, and the largest, Auck-land, handles 900,000 containers a year.

This is well behind the world’s two largest container ports of Singapore and Hong Kong, which both handle in excess of 22 million containers each year.

He said he suspected New Zealand did not need 10 international ports, and would not be surprised if over time that number was reduced to three.

In the South Island, the world’s largest ports operator, Hutchinson, had offered in excess of $100 million for a 49.9% stake in Lyttelton.

Hutchinson Port Holdings operate 41 ports world wide, which account for 12% of all the world’s trade, and owns a stake in the Panama Canal.

This move may signal the start of more international interest in our Port, which may lead to stronger competition and the attendant risk of casualties as the situation gets more intense.

Another factor that could lead to the rationalization of our international ports is the advent of ultra large cargo ships.

In 1980, the world’s biggest container ship was the Neptune Garnet, with a capacity of 4100 TEU.

25

By 1996, the record was held by the 6400 TEU Regina-Maersk.

By 2004 there were more than 100 ships with a capacity of 8,000 TEU oper-ating worldwide.

Already this year a 9,600 TEU ship has been delivered and the China Ocean Shipping Corporation has four 10,000 TEU ships on order, for delivery in 2007/2008.

The first 12,000 TEU ship is expected to be in service by 2010 and the Suez Canal expected by then to be ready to handle ships of that size.

Ships of 18,000 TEU capacities are already being proposed.

The reason for the move to larger ships is simple economics.

It is estimated that a 12,000 TEU ves-sel is US$3 per container per day cheap-er than a 4,000 TEU and an 18,000 TEU would be 30% per container cheaper to operate than an 8,000 TEU vessel.

The advent of the ultra large cargo ship has the potential to shake up the Global Port Industry in a way that con-tainerisation did a generation ago.

Not every port will have the ability to handle the large ships.

A huge investment in infrastructure will be needed to accommodate them.

Some ports will make the necessary investments, others will not, and not every port will be deep enough to han-dle ultra large cargo ships.

Today for instance only two Ports – Rotterdam and Singapore – are deep enough to handle an 18 000 TEU ship.

Currently New Zealand is serviced largely by vessels of 2200 TEU, and these are not large ships by international standards.

To put their size in perspective, a 2200 TEU ship would not berth at Hong Kong but its cargo would be discharged by way of lighters out in the channel.

If larger container ships start arriving in our Ports, then it is likely that more international cargo will be discharged at fewer Ports.

The economics of larger ships require them to keep moving quickly between ports.

Bigger ships are likely to discharge their cargo in one New Zealand Port and then move on, creating a further impe-tus for rationalising the number of New Zealand’s international ports.

In the long term, that rationalization could be quite radical.

For instance, it is not inconceivable that in the future New Zealand is serv-iced by one international port – and that port is Brisbane.

(A lot of containers are going to be carried around the world before that possibly happens.)

Under a sub-heading “Coastal Ship-ping” he stated that the flip side of the rationalization of New Zealand’s Inter-national Ports is the potential for growth in coastal shipping.

Larger ships discharging interna-tional cargo at fewer New Zealand ports will create the opportunity for increased coastal trading.

The cargo still has to be removed from the Port where it is unloaded and transported to where it is needed and if international vessels spend less time travelling around New Zealand it will remove some of the lower cost com-petition to domestic coastal freighting operations.

The infrastructure is in place to sup-port coastal shipping and unlike most New Zealand infrastructure, it is not overtaxed.

As fuel prices increase, coastal ship-ping may become more attractive to some customers.

He concluded by stating that given the trends he would in time expect to see a significant increase in coastal ship-ping in New Zealand.

All in all it was an interesting Forum.While we might not like all that was

presented, it was good to gain an insight into what the so called ‘movers and shakers’ in the industry are promoting.

Port Roundup:New Plymouth

by Shane Parker

The port has been very busy with the beginning of the first of 4 major off-shore oil exploration programmes.

This has led to an increase in work for all Maritime Union members includ-ing seamen and watersiders.

We have had on going joint meetings which we hope will be beneficial to both groups.

The majority of the men on the ves-sels are Kiwis and Aussies and good union men.

It is good to spend time with fellow unionists from across the ditch.

We also loaded a 10 million dol-lar Americas Cup support vessel on a container ship which was an interesting exercise which was declined by most ports as being too difficult.

The majority of our work still seems to fall on weekends with the new Mae-rsk rotation being 2 ships one after the other on Saturday plus random Tasman boats.

New Plymouth Stevedoring staff discharging piles for the Pohokura offshore production station from the heavy lift ship Annegret (photo by Shane Parker)

26

Port Roundup:Port ChalmersLocal 10

by Phil Adams

Greetings from the south.

As winter ap-proaches, work is busy particularly in the terminal.

Third shifts and long days are the norm which although good for our future means that health and family are put under pressure.

A group of our union executive and management are meeting regularly, one good issue to come of this is the accept-ance by management that the wash and lashings are skilled areas and require permanent staff as the casuals employed have been found wanting in these areas.

Any decisions on the hours and work-ing of ships would be agreed or disa-greed by all who work in those areas.

Currently we are receiving ships every second day as the busy season continues and our labour resources are severely stretched.

The B’s who are currently on a guar-anteed five days will revert back to three days on 1 June although our officials will meet with management to hope-fully extend this.

One worrying aspect coming out of the terminal is the frequently occurring straddle accidents.

A working party is being set up to look at this situation as the possibility of injury is a concern.

Speed fatigue and the blindspots in the terminal are some reasons why the accidents are happening. One alarm-ing aspect coming out of the accidents is the lack of Union involvement in the accident aftermath.

Although some think they are bul-letproof an official should be contacted immediately an accident occurs.

So if there is any disciplinary action the Union needs to be involved.

Port Otago is about to lose its opera-tions manager soon. Our relationship with this individual has been cool right from the start.

He is moving to Australia to work as a pilot, which should be good for both countries.

A replacement has yet to be named but a name being touted is causing a lot of concern for us as this person is an ex-member who left Port Otago and may be set to make a return.

This will be resisted should he return. The new crane is not yet fully com-

missioned at the time of writing, as training of drivers and small techni-cal issues have put back its full use on ships.

Alan Middleditch is training the lads on it and all seem to be picking up the technical intricacies of it.

ElectionsIt was heartening to see our branch

elections. David Dick was re-elected as President unopposed and Ian Quarrell was elected Vice President unopposed. Phil Adams was re-elected Secretary/Treasurer, and Merv Scoles and Graeme Hutton were elected unopposed as trustees.

For the election of the Executive, 11 stood for the five positions.

Elected were Andrew Jennings, Adam Law, Robert McIntosh, Jeff Dun-can and Mike (Tank) Lysaght.

Of the five elected, four were incum-bents, with Donny Hill missing.

It is unfortunate for Donny to miss as his dedication to the job could not be faulted.

Donny was one of three Executive members on the ship working group and this may have brought about his downfall. Let us hope Donny will have another go as he has shown an ability in the job on executive.

A special welcome to Robert McIn-tosh. All the best for the coming year Robert.

One very pleasing aspect of the 11 who stood for the executive is they were all participants in Fred Salelea’s training courses.

Southern CrossCurrently our members with South-

ern Cross are nervously awaiting the outcome of negotiations at a national level about the future of their company.

Although in our port they are doing alright, in some ports there are problems and this could have an effect on them.

The Port Company has been told of the situation.

On a higher note, Harry Cotton is to be married next year in Taupo, and it is believed a prominent member of Port Chalmers Cargo Services is Best Man.

All the best Harry and your wife to be.

SuperannuationThe Superannuation scheme has had

a wonderful year returning 15.6% for those that are in it.

Some members are still to join and are watching thousands of dollars from the employers being retained and not going into their members super account of those who have still not joined.

Deaths of older membersRecently we had the deaths of two

wellknown older members.Bill (Opo) Spence, Robin (Sam Cash)

Forgie and Bob (Inflation) McIntosh.Bill Spence served a time on the

Union executive and was prominent in Rugby and Bowls and the odd pint.

Bob McIntosh served on the local Labour Party committee and gave many reports at our stopwork meetings.

Bob as his nickname suggests was always talking inflation. Bob was a very loyal member of our branch.

Finally Robin Forgie, or Sam as we called him, served on our local executive and was a very loyal member.

His battle with cancer for nearly 27 years was an inspiration to us all.

His humour and antics were well known and he kept ringing me to remind me of people before the courts proclaiming they were watersiders.

It was a great pleasure to have known this man for many years, who faced adversity in a way not many of us could. We send our deepest sympathy to the family members of all three men, they will be missed.

RetirementsRecently we have had some mem-

bers retiring and moving on. As noted in the last edition of the

Maritimes, Stu Neill and Gary Tappin, and more recently Clive Giles who was part of our successful early retirement scheme.

Clive was serving as branch vice-president up to the time of his retire-ment and will be greatly missed.

Clive was an able first aider with several national titles to his credit, and his contribution on the branch executive and as vice-president has been substan-tial.

Clive was an official at a time some major decisions had to be made and new innovative ideas introduced which has seen the terminal come to the fore as a major container terminal.

Thanks Clive, on behalf of the branch we wish yourself and Dot a long and happy retirement. (The deer around Ota-go and Southland are already nervous.)

HorseOhoka Jasper continues to prove his

worth and is headed for big things (well, that’s what we think.) He is currently chasing the big money in Canterbury where he should prove very competi-tive.

Our horse with Sean McCaffey in the North is just starting his training and he is a wait and see proposition.

Kathy Whelan is preparing to join our syndicate should the horse show something.

27

The name of the horse is Disprinoski (I think it’s Russian, who cares as long as it can run.) (Editorial note – sounds like a Russian headache pill.)

MeetingsEarlier I mentioned the result of our

local branch elections. The reasons for the level of interest

in standing is a result I believe of the numbers turning up for our stopwork meetings (between 50–70 at the last three) which is a good sign for the future of our branch.

The debate is good and at the last meeting we had seafarer Alan McDon-ald attend. Alan is a life member of the Seaman’s Union and made a special point to the officials that he thought the meeting was well-run and enjoyable.

Remember that the meeting is an op-portunity for members to put their point of view and debate issues rather than in the smoko room or the pub.

ShedsThe sheds are busy at the moment and

there seems to be a more settled look about them, although that could change particu-larly with the management down there.

Recently we gained an increase in re-muneration for those who have at least three years service with the company.

Dave Burgess is the delegate down there and is doing a fine job

Members SickMembers who are off sick at the

moment include Brian Berryman with a back problem, Ross Abernethy with hernia, and Pete Dungey waiting for an operation. We wish them all well and a speedy recovery.

AmalgamationThe officials from the Maritime Union

and the RMTU are currently in discus-sions in regard to the amalgamation.

Three days of meetings in April are to be followed with three days of meetings in June with facilitators Paddy Crumlin of the MUA and Paul Goulter of the ACTU. These will go a long way towards debating and settling the issues of amalgamation.

Some members of our branch have written to the national office of the Union with questions, but as they have been told the final decision on amalga-mation will come with a vote of mem-bers after a roadshow by officials around the ports to explain the amalgamation.

That’s it from Port Chalmers, as we are aware with the Southern Cross situa-tion and the debacle with the attempted selloff of the Port of Lyttelton, we must stay alert and resolute – not only for current members but for those members to come.

Port Roundup:Napier

by Bill Connelly

Around and aboutThe port is very

busy at the moment with the continual loading of Hawkes Bay’s major seasonal exports, which at this

time are mainly fruit and squash.

Members who have recently left the industry

Hawke’s Bay Stevedoring Services:Norman Braid recently retired from

Hawkes Bay Stevedoring Services Lim-ited, but is still actively involved in the industry working in a casual capacity.

Colin Uriarau left the industry on the 29 January 2006 and is now living in sunny Rarotonga, lucky bugger.

I asked him to keep in touch, which I have no doubt he will, but have told him not to relay to me what the weather is like, because I already know the answer.

Colin originally joined the Napier register on the 5 January 1972.

Mike Primrose left on 5 March 2006, another of our long standing members, who has been on the Napier register since 14 March 1977.

I understand Mike has gone back to his original trade as a builder, but as he told me he is happy enough, now his social life has returned and he can spend quality time with his wife and daughter.

Rod Williams is retiring from the industry on the 9 July 2006 after some 32 years on the Napier register.

Rod who has been a senior Executive Member of the Napier Branch since well

before Port Reform in 1989 will be missed for the knowledge that he has contrib-uted to the Branch over those years.

On a personal note I wish to thank Rod for all the assistance he has given me, as the Branch Secretary.

His knowledge has made my job that much easier to contend with, knowing that I had members like him in the ranks to call on when and where the necessity arose. Rod joined the Napier register on the 6 May 1974.

The Officers, Executive and members of the Napier Branch wish Rod, Mike and Colin all the best in their retirement and our only message to you all is to enjoy the time with your families, which as you are aware, has been somewhat limited since the introduction of Port Reform.

Ohope Beach accommodationMembers should be aware that the

holiday accommodation at Ohope Beach is now at a premium, because of the sale of the front two units.

We still own unit number 3 and bookings can be made through the Na-pier Branch, by contacting the Secretary either at the Union Office, his home or on his mobile telephone number.

Those of you who have stayed at Ohope will be pleased to hear that we have just purchased a new queensize bed for the master bedroom.

Gold Coast accommodationThis is proving to be a most popular

destination for all members. Please note that the confirmation pe-

riod for bookings is now SIX MONTHS – members nationally can now book six months in advance.

Members from other ports who have used the property recently have come from Port Chalmers, Auckland and Australia.

[continued next page]

Hawkes Bay Stevedoring Services members Lance McNaught, Rod Williams, Jeremy Kaye and Dennis Williams prepare to do battle at the Hackers and Knackers tournament last last year

28

[continued from previous page] Over the years we have asked

repeatedly for management to get the cleaning staff to do a better job, when cleaning our apartment.

This has fallen on deaf ears, so now we have taken the unprecedented step of purchasing our own linen and engag-ing our own cleaning staff.

This has proven to be the right deci-sion and the feedback from guests has been nothing but positive.

In November 2005 we had the carpet totally replaced and in April 2006 we had the apartment totally refurnished, we are glad to say that the apartment is now looking a bit more modern and not so tired looking.Vacancies for 2006 are as follows:25 November 2006 to 09 December 200609 December 2006 to 16 December 2006

Anzac DayAs has been the case in the past the

Napier Branch in conjunction with our local LAC (Labour Affiliates Council) and representing the CTU (Council of Trade Unions) laid wreaths in Napier, Taradale and Hastings to commemo-rate those who gave their all for the freedoms we are still fighting for today.

Russell Fairbrother, our local list MP kindly footed the bill for the wreaths for which the Napier Branch thanks him.

The Officers and Russell also at-tended the services of remembrance. We shall remember them.

Worker’s Memorial DayA service was held at the port on

Friday 28 April 2006 to commemorate Worker’s Memorial Day, but due to inclement weather, this year it was held in No.1 Shed.

About two hundred people were in attendance, with representatives from the CTU, RMTU, MUNZ and Port of Napier giving their respective addresses on safety within the workplace.

This year, the same as last held spe-cial significance for the RMTU, as one of their number was recently killed in a tragic fork lift accident at the port.

After the service everyone attended an unveiling of a bronze plaque to remember the life of a past RMTU member Corben Frickleton, who died so tragically last year.

Members who are employed on a casual basis

It is gratifying to see that members, who are employed on a casual basis, are now taking an active interest in Union and Branch affairs.

Meetings have been held with them recently for them to air their grievances and put their point of view to Branch Officers and Executive members.

These meetings have been fruitful and informative and have given the Branch some insight as to their expecta-tions as members of the Branch.

Meetings have also been held with Employers and those members repre-senting the casual workforce, to address the grievances raised and seek positive solutions to remedy them. Members employed on a casual basis now form an integral part of the Napier Branch Executive Committee and also take an active part in the Health and Safety Management Committees of both Steve-doring Companies operating within the wharf gates.

AgreementsHawke’s Bay Stevedoring Services Limited

We are still under a current agree-ment, which is in place until 28 February 2008. All members, even those em-ployed in a casual capacity are getting a 3% wage increase on the 1 August 2006.Toll Logistics New Zealand Limited

The Branch and the members em-ployed by Toll’s have just completed an agreement, which expires on the 31 December 2008. Negotiations although long and at times arduous, were com-pleted in mid April 2006.

Hackers and Knackers: Derek Newton (checking the lie of the ground), Robbie Williams (in appropriate footwear) and Gary Frater (checking the yardage)

Regional ContactsWhangareiMobile: 021 855121Fax: 09 459 4972Address: PO Box 397, Whangarei Auckland SeafarersPhone: 09 3032 562 Fax: 09 3790 766Mobile: 021 326261 Address: PO Box 1840, AucklandEmail: garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Auckland Local 13Phone: 09 3034 652 Fax: 09 3096 851Mobile: 021 760887Address: PO Box 2645, AucklandEmail: local13@munz.org.nz

Mount MaunganuiPhone: 07 5755 668 Fax: 07 5759 043Mobile: 0274 782308Address: PO Box 5121, Mt. MaunganuiEmail: phil.spanswick@munz.org.nz

Gisborne Local 38 Mobile: 025 6499697Address: 5 Murphy Road,GisborneEmail: dein.ferris@munz.org.nz

New PlymouthPhone: 06 7589 728 Fax: 06 7513 646Mobile: 027 2755458Address: PO Box 659, New PlymouthEmail: shane.parker@munz.org.nz

NapierPhone/Fax: 06 8358 622Mobile: 027 6175441Address: PO Box 70, NapierEmail: bill.connelly@munz.org.nz

Wellington SeafarersPhone: 04 3859 288 Fax: 04 3848 766Mobile: 021 481242Address: PO Box 27004, WellingtonEmail: mike.williams@muno.org.nz

Wellington WaterfrontPhone: 04 8017 619 Fax: 04 3848 766Mobile: 021 606379Address: PO Box 2773, WellingtonEmail: john.whiting@muno.org.nz

Wellington Stores and Warehouse Local 21Phone: 04 3859520 Fax: 04 3848 766Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington

NelsonPhone/Fax: 03 548 7778Address: PO Box 5016, Nelson

Lyttelton Local 43Phone: 03 3288 306 Fax: 03 3288 798Mobile: 0274 329620Address: PO Box 29, LytteltonEmail: lwwu@xtra.co.nz TimaruPhone/Fax: 03 6843 364Mobile: 021 2991091Address: PO Box 813, Timaru Port Chalmers Dunedin Local 10Phone: 03 4728 052 Fax: 03 4727 492Mobile: 0274 377601Address: PO Box 44, Port ChalmersEmail: phil.adams@munz.org.nz

BluffPhone/Fax: 03 2128 189Mobile: 027 4475317Address: PO Box 5, BluffEmail: ray.fife@munz.org.nz

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Obituaries

Port Chalmers farewells two local identities by Bruce Malcolm (Life Member, New Zealand Waterfront Workers Union)

Port Chalmers bade farewell to two identities on the 24 April 2006. Both re-tired watersiders who sailed off to the wharves above on the 20 April 2006.

Robert McIntoshRobert McIn-tosh was known originally as “Dyer” however after some time on the waterfront he became known as “Inflation”.

Bob joined the waterfront union in 1964 and lost his position during the wa-terfront restructuring in November, 1989.

He was aged 75 years. He was always interested in politics and monetary world wide problems and the never ending in-flationary effects notably on the working class (hence the nick name inflation.)

His attendance at many Labour Party meetings locally, regionally, plus domin-ion conferences were always a major item at monthly stop-work-meetings.

A keen historian in his own right, he left many people amazed at his ability to speak on the very early 1900”s onwards with clear and concise accuracy on many a subject.

His life’s written history has recently been uncovered and will be suitably dealt with along with treasured docu-ments he had collected.

The word Mugwamp was a word Bob really appreciated.

This word was given to people by Bob when they could not differentiate between friend and foe on the job; basi-cally they had their head on one side of the fence and their wamp on the other side.

Till a real shattering blow smashed his shoulder on an original type scrum machine, consequently ending his sport-ing days and career in sport, he was a senior representative rower and an Otago “B” front row forward.

Bob’s wife Elizabeth predeceased him and he leaves behind three daugh-ters Jocelyn, Anne and Barbara. Deepest sympathy is extended to the family.

Robin ForgieRobin Forgie was known to all as “Sam Cash” and was aged 63 years.

Robin joined the union in 1966 and retired through ill health in 1994.

Robin battled for 25 years cancer and asbestosis displaying guts and determi-nation the likes of which were probably never witnessed before.

The nurses at the hospital nicknamed Sam Cash the noxious weed, with total re-spect, as they said he keeps coming back.

From Bluff to Nelson either with work or sport he became noted for his jocular behaviour, but yet displayed always care and attention towards his fellow workers.

As a union executive member his contributions were based on integrity, honesty and trust with the willingness and patience to learn.

At the drop of a hat Robin would gladly assist any person within the community to overcome a problem in the form of a work task if it was possible within his restricted capabilities.

Should it prove not possible as it was on many occasions he would organise someone else to do the task.

He leaves behind his wife Pamela, son Craig and daughter Katrina.

In conveying sympathy one must also surely express thanks and admira-tion for their loving care and attention over a lengthy period of time.

The community indeed will be the poorer for the passing of these two retired watersiders.

Lenny Morganby Mike Williams

Lenny Morgan lied about his age and shipped out at the age of 14; his first ship was the Hinemoa.

He got his ABs ticket on the New Zea-land coast and then decided to broaden his horizons - whilst on leave he told his mother Vera that he was going out for a bottle of milk and came back 13 years later having spent those years shipping out in the UK international pool on home boats and on Scandinavian ships.

The family string – and Lenny came from a big family –tightened and Lenny made his way back to New Zealand - we don’t know whether be did bring that bottle of milk home.

Lenny met and married Maureen and being newly married with a young family rather than going back to sea Lenny went truck and bus driving for a few years but eventually, as many did, returned to sea in 1973 where he stayed until his early retirement through ill health in 1986; his last ship was the Union Dunedin.

Lenny’s story is not unique and mir-rors that of so many seafarers everywhere - we lose count of how many times we hear these stories - young men lying about their age to ship out as kids barely into their teens in very harsh conditions in comparison to those we know today.

Of young men leaving their families to see the world and eventually return-ing home - marrying, working ashore whilst relationships and families were in their young years of development and eventually succumbing to what we call salt in the blood and returning to sea where they finish off their working lives.

But we do have a unique situation within this family because you scratch the surface ever so slightly and you discover 10 seafaring families within the same generation – The Mortons, The Morgans, The Hanna’s, The Speakmans, The Hesps, The Thompsons and part-ners of the boys who include the Briggs, McGregor, Roycroft and Whelan.

That’s a union in itself and very unique for New Zealand which is a young and small maritime nation.

All very good seafarers and loyal and good union members.

On Monday morning when we learnt of Lenny’s passing members were gathered in the office preparing for a meeting, we delayed our meeting and stood around telling Lenny stories and everyone had a Lenny story - some could be repeated, most couldn’t.

I am sure everyone here has a Lenny story and hopefully will share it either here at the service or later over a drink. One thing is for sure, a Lenny story will make you laugh.

In his last few years whilst confined because of ill health, Lenny often, in his mind, would rejoin one of the many ships he sailed on and once again sail the seas. Well Lenny - I know you liked slow greens - I hope you have joined a good one and are watch mates with your nephew Danny and plain sailing from here on mate.

To Lenny’s family and there are far too many of you for me to attempt to name, the sincere condolences of the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

30

Book Reviews

Revolution: The 1913 Great Strike in New Zealand Edited by Melanie Nolan

“Over two thousand watersiders and supporters gathered at the intersection of Taranaki and Buckle Streets and confronted the specials [constables]. The specials repeatedly charged the crowd, who retaliated with stones and missiles. Several people were injured, some seriously. Lawlor [a Dominion journalist] witnessed gunfire from both sides, but his account was censored by his newspaper at the request of Police Commissioner Cullen . . . “

This was happening on 3 November, 1913, in downtown Wellington at the height of the “Great Strike.”

This dramatically titled book is the latest from Canterbury University Press in association with the Trade Union History Project – previous titles include “The Big Blue”, snapshots of the 1951 Waterfront Lockout which was reviewed last year in the Maritimes.

The book is similar in that it is a col-lection of articles dealing with a major upsurge in workers’ struggle in New Zealand.

The maritime unions of the time played a major role in both 1913 and 1951 events, both due to their militant nature and also the proportionally greater numbers they had in those days.

While “The Big Blue” featured contributions from a wide background, “Revolution” is more academic in style, and came out of a 2003 conference.

Topics covered include the industrial and political background to the strike, the role of the police and military as tools of the State in suppressing the strike, the role of the media, and an anal-ysis how women played a role in the strike, with many contributors debating their different views of events and their meaning.

The various debates within the Un-ions at the time are covered – arguments between the moderate arbitrationists, and militants including the “Wobblies” (the radical Industrial Workers of the World) and the Socialist Party who later split into revolutionary (Communist Party) and reformist wings.

1913 was the most violent strike in New Zealand’s history, with the military armed with bayonets and machine guns.

Shots were fired in downtown Wellington and there was even some debate amongst the ruling class after the commander of a British naval vessel in Wellington harbour was ordered to fix its guns on the city for use in case of outright insurrection.

Shortly after the strike ended, World War One broke out and the workers the world over were swept up in mindless flag-waving patriotism.

The period after the war saw con-tinued developments in the workers’ movement, but nothing of the order of magnitude of the 1913 Great Strike.

It’s not light reading, but “Revolu-tion” forms a solid and fascinating work on a central event in New Zealand’s working class history.

“Revolution” can be ordered from Canterbury University PressWebsite: http://www.cup.canterbury.ac.nz/Telephone (03) 364 2914Mail address:Canterbury University PressPrivate Bag 4800, ChristchurchNew Zealand

Trade Union History Project websitehttp://www.tuhp.org.nz

Review by Victor Billot

Fore and Aft (Mostly Sea Stories)by Tas Bull

From the foreword by Greg Combet, Secretary, ACTU, and Paddy Crumlin, National Secretary, MUA

Ships and the sea, people and ports were Tas Bull’s guiding enthusiasms from his early childhood until the end of the great voyage of his life.

He would have stood proudly amongst the generations of his Norwe-gian forebears - seamen, ship builders and ship owners, explorers and traders.

Going further than his ancestors, Tas Bull communicates his insights in per-manent form, leaving us with a timeless vision into those workers, who make ships and the sea their lives.

The seafaring experiences of his early life not only opened up new oceans and lands with their people and culture, it opened up a lifetime of passion and love for the sea, but also for the long history of those that went before.

Fore and Aft is a book of sea stories, personal encounters and nautical history by an author who was known for the un-derstatement of his own achievements, his anecdotal and accessible style and his inherent good humour and optimism.

But this book has extra value for many as the record of someone who was prepared both to make a stand to con-ciliate; to mobilise people in a cause and to insist on standards and principles.

Tas Bull was the former General Secretary of the Australian Waterside Workers Federation.

Copies available from Kathy Whelan, PO Box 27004, Wellington, New Zealandemail kathy.whelan@muno.org.nzTelephone (04) 801 7613

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A Government attack on wages and working conditions in France was defeated in April.

Mass protests of young people and workers forced the right wing French Government to back down on law changes that would have resulted in greater casualization of the workforce.

The “CPE” law would have allowed employers to sack any worker under the age of 26 without reason.

The idea is very similar to the current attempt by the National Party in New Zealand to introduce their “90 day bill” (see page 8).

In France, a wave of university occupations spread into mass demon-strations, high school blockades and, crucially, strikes by workers.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin unveiled the CPE plan on 16 January 2006.

He said that “urgent” action was needed to “bring the French labour mar-ket into the modern era.”

The law would see employers hire 18-26 year-olds on two year contracts that would allow them to fire the youths without notice, and without explanation.

In response, student unions called for a week of meetings and mobilisation from 30 January including a call for a national day of protest on the 7 February 2006.

400,000 people took part in 187 dem-onstrations across France.

From there the movement gained momentum. Another student and work-ers’ union day of action and demonstra-tions was held, attracting one million people onto the streets.

Nearly all of the country’s univer-sities were occupied by students and striking staff, and schools began to shut down, as well as pupils, parents and teachers occupied them.

General assemblies – directly demo-cratic bodies of young people, students and workers – were set up to co-ordi-nate the occupations and resistance.

People from the banlieues - suburban housing estates where riots erupted last year - joined students and workers in demonstrations, despite the govern-ment’s claims that the laws were being brought in to “help” them find work.

Young people began to fight the French riot police, who were condemned by many for their brutality which left many people injured including one postal worker who was put in coma.

The rebellion continued to grow, and a national strike was called on 28 March – the same day a million workers in the UK struck to defend their pensions.

Hundreds of thousands downed tools, and three million people took to the streets – many small towns of 10-15,000 inhabitants having thousands-strong demonstrations.

Subsequently, unofficial actions increased, with wildcat strikes, un-sanctioned demonstrations and huge blockades of motorways, train stations and even airport runways escalating and becoming more frequent.

Unions were set to call another gen-eral strike when the French government was forced to cave in and withdraw the law, in a huge victory for the French working class.

The story is not over, however, since some sections of the movement continue to demand the withdrawal of a similar law, the CNE, which applies to small businesses of fewer than 25 people.

In any case this struggle of French workers and young people took on a Government attempting to attack the gains that working people have achieved over the years – and won.

For further information see: www.libcom.org/blog www.indymedia.org

French workers and students defeat casualization attack

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