THE MARITIME WORKER Wellington Branch Wellington Branch Newsletter Vol: 4 February (2020)
Offshore Slowly picking up
Platform Supply Vessel Normand Tortuga
SKUDENESHAVN, Norway – Solstad Offshore will supply the platform supply vessel Normand Tortuga to support OMV Taranaki’s upcoming drilling program offshore New Zealand. The contract will take effect by mid-March and run for 250 firm days, with options to extend by up
to 11 months. OMV will conduct its Crestal drilling campaign at the Maui A platform. Solstad now has two vessels booked for work in the region, the other being the construction support ship Normand Baltic. 01/28/202
Wellington Branch says thank you to Christy Cain and the MUA Normand Baltic
Hi Christy, The MUNZ Wellington branch first meeting of 2020 moved a vote of thanks to you and your Branch for all your hard work organising and supporting the manning MUA crew into the NZ offshore work. Further we reaffirm our branches strong Jim King Wellington Branch Secretary and relationship through our sister Christy Cain MUA President Unions Wellington /Fremantle branches and join with you in struggle. In Solidarity. Mick Williams Wellington Branch President
Normand Baltic Arrival Nelson Friday 14th Feb 2020 The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
for ratification, the offer was Accepted by a majority of our MUNZ members, which has now been signed off by Joe Fleetwood and SSL Clive Glover, manager. StraitNZ Terminals wage rounds, A new revised offer was put in writing from SSL-Terminals, it was recommended by the Wellington Branch negotiation team to accept and endorse the offer. Ratification Outcome has now been accepted and is now signed off.
Jim King Secretary/Treasurer Wellington Branch
Wellington Branch
Branch Secretaries Report: February 10th 2020 Kiwi Rail: Working party forums Core Crew
(Still in progress)
Hard-laying (Noise)
Started on, 25/June
Reps are Myself, George McIntosh, Tony Mowbray, Jack Thomason Career Pathways (TBA) Core Crewing We now need this to hurry up and get answers. Mapping exercises were conducted, and as a result nothing came to fruition. However, there’s a trial currently underway, with the prospects of an introduction of another two or three new positions being created as a result of this trial. The trail is to do with food buying for the customers, stock rotation and other tasks associated with this specialist job on the Kaiarahi. As this is a trial only, it will probably be around another four months before any final decision will be made to see if this is a viable option. Fiona Mansell and Zyana Maki are the names that were put forward by this union. Let’s hope this is a success, and that new employment is created as a result. Just and Fair Culture (JFC) This forum will reconvene early this year to discuss a way of moving forward, but at this stage I’m not convinced that having buy in from this union is not an option due to the inconsistencies with KR-IIL dealing with disciplinaries and Drug & Alcohol testing procedures, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done on their part before convincing me that JFC is the way to go
2020 KR-IIL Bargaining The wage round team met on 31st January and went over the members remits. We have now compiled all claims and a copy of these will be exchanged with KR-IIL with a full set of claims from them.
KAIARAHI Dry Dock I now have a copy of the April / May 2020 dry dock roster for Deck, Engine & Catering, 1 X BSN, 10 X AB’s & 1 X DWR. Catering is made up of 2 X Cooks, 1 X Steward and 1 X Domestic. The Schedule has been sent down to the MUNZ Delegates on board to peruse. I believe all departments are happy with numbers, with which there has been one request, that the union attempt to try and get one more DWR up the gangway.
StraitNZ
Wage Round negotiations, (Maritime) A series of ratification meetings were held between the 11–18th December. We took back the company offer to our members on both vessels, Feronia and Straitsman
Maritime Worker Magazine please ensure you submit your stories along with jpeg pics. Next edition will be released around April. So please keep sending in your stories and pictures. Audits 2017 – 2018, & 2018 & 2019 Still in the process of audit mode, will be submitted to National Council in May. We were meant to have had our audit report before Xmas, but still haven’t received it. Wellington Branch Executive Meeting 30th January The Wellington Branch Executive had their first meeting for 2020, items on the agenda included local, national and international issues. We also discussed the following -
• • • • • • •
Finances Database Manning levels National Elections November2020 MUA Conference March 2020 KiwiRail Wage Rounds Local & National Women’s Rep to travel to Auckland to visit members (Networking)
MUNZ Wellington Family Christmas Party. Paul Baggott and Tony Mowbray are now the go to people to organise this years Family Christmas party. Their names were put forward from the Executive to seek endorsement from the Feb Stop Work Meeting, please support them if they need volunteers to assist them in making this year’s family Christmas party a success. Congratulations Tony and Paul, thank you.
Offshore Skandi Hercules I received a phone call from Kingston Offshore November 2019, to see if we were in a position to source labour from the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) to man up the Skandi Hercules as we are very short with crew in all sectors on the MUNZ database. After speaking with National Secretary Joe Fleetwood, it was agreed he would contact the MUA for IR’s. After their discussions it was understood that Kingston would make contact with Christie Cain so that the necessary arrangements could be made to have IR’s flown in to man the vessel. Unfortunately, this was not the case, Kingston made contact through its own sources (DOF) to have IR’s working on this vessel. This didn’t wash with us because it was always intended that the source of labour must come from the unemployed registered on the MUA database. On 31st December we had a teleconference with Christy Cain MUA President, Joe Fleetwood (National Secretary), myself Jim King, Kurt Aldam Kingston Offshore, and Paull Nunn DOF. Joe basically recapped about the hiring of labour from across the Tasman from the MUA, Christy Cain made the point that if you want your vessels to be manned and sailing, then you need to come to us for the labour.
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
Christy also pointed out, in order to move forward and that this sort of thing does not happen again, there needs to be a frame work agreement or an addendum to the Multi party Contract, this was basically agreed to by all. So after lengthy protracted discussions all parties are now in agreeance that the second crew will be sourced from the MUA, and Joe Fleetwood will send through a draft frame Work Agreement.
“Resolution” due in NZ about February 2020. The manning is for 4 IR’s and one cook. They will be on contract for around 6 weeks, crew will not be required to work on the vessel, other than be employed in a standby capacity role. The Resolution was here in NZ back in 2017 and had the same agreement as what is required now. Names have been forwarded to Kingston for consideration.
Normand Baltic
Normand Turtoga (PSV) Is in the final stages of getting ready to make its way down to NZ. At this stage we are looking good to fully man up the first crew with Kiwis, and probably half mix of MUNZ & MUA members for the second crew.
Atlas have been in touch with me requesting us to supply them with manning. I was only able to come up with 1 I/R and a couple of stewards and cooks. There was still a major short fall in numbers. Therefore, it was agreed that we will source the labour from our counterparts from the MUA. Christy Cain once again has come to the rescue to help us out by supplying crew. For both crews the Normand Baltic requires up to a total of 2 CIRs, 12 IR’s, 4 Cooks, 6 Stewards. This contract is anywhere from 40-65 days with the possibility of an extension. I along with the GM from Atlas visited the Normand Baltic in Singapore on 15th January. We did a thorough ships inspection, there were a couple of minor issues i.e.; dangerous goods paper work but this was sorted out before our inspection was completed. Ships inspection forms was 73 pages. Good result at the end of the day. Kingston Offshore – Cable Ship Resolution Kingston are the manning agents for the cable laying vessel
Normand Tortuga
Seafarers Data Base Database, as at 10th February 2020 Integrated Ratings 2, Able Seafarers 4, Cooks, 4. Stewards 8.
General in Brief • 0 wage rounds currently in progress, SGS, StraitNZ Terminals. 1. StraitNZ (Maritime Signed off) 2. StraitNZ (Terminals Signed off) 3. C3 ( Signed off) 4. SGS (Negotiation Mode) Report compiled by Jimmy King Wellington Branch Secretary/Treasurer conditions. We wouldn’t find ourselves in these situations if annual leave was used as it was originally intended.
Tony Mowbray Executive Member Wellington Branch
Annual Leave and Strait Shipping pictures from the 1990s Dear Members, With the option of being able to sell excess leave, I would just like the members to consider for a moment why it should be dissuaded. It is called Annual leave for the reason (entitlement to take leave) the only time annual leave should go into excess is if one wants to accumulate it to allow for an extended trip or holiday etc at a later date. Using your leave also keeps another person in employment while your away on leave. Workers fought for years to obtain it, and in some cases had to buy it or accumulate days off before any leave could be taken at all, by selling any amount, not that it should get to an excessive amount in the first place, goes against all principles of this union and is again eroding
A prime example of conditions being eroded in recent years was with the employer being given the ability to have the discretion as to whether their employees were allowed smokos (breaks), with small or unregulated work forces being especially vulnerable. Yet here we are voluntarily cashing in leave. If sold, in all probability we would never get it back, I briefly touched on this in the last edition of the Maritime Worker, about the early struggles at Strait Shipping that the NZSU members faced in getting such conditions finally reintroduced after legislation of the early 1990s enabled it to be sold { by original non-union employees } with it finally being bargained into the collective after a good few years of struggle. Monetary gain may be alright for the individual at the time, but morally we should be thinking of future generations that won’t even enjoy privileges like annual leave if we start to sell things off. Thankfully past generations didn’t have the mind sets that some seem to be slowly allowing to become normal. Once again workers have been handed a club to bash themselves with, so I can only urge members NOT to sell their annual leave rather than use their Annual Leave entitlement for its intended purpose.
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
Mick Williams Branch President Wellington Cabotage is the protection of workers of a particular country or region It includes the right of NZ Seafarers to work on ships carrying cargo or passengers around the New Zealand coast and the right to share (for example with Australian seafarers) the work on ships carrying NZ imports and exports. Cabotage would not only benefit seafarers, it would aid national security.
My heartfelt condolences to Gerry Hill, partner Sally and to all his family and friends. Gerry fought on many Union and Political campaigns. A Man of the working class and a Maritime historian in his own right. His book on the Maritime Industry says it all. Gerry fought for the rights of Cooks and Stewards Union and continued after amalgamation with the Seafarers Union. His contribution to NZ Trade Union movement will be remembered in our proud history.
We are a island nation with unlimited entry points. Illegal immigration, drug smuggling and so on cannot be policed by the forces of the state alone. The best line of defence is NZ workers on board ships sailing in NZ waters. The introduction of alien insects, animals and other organisms could endanger our precious eco system. Gerry Hill
R.I.P. Comrade.
Helen Kelly Documentary Premier Helen Kelly was a Great friend of the Former Seafarer’s Union and MUNZ making a big contribution to the Napier and Auckland wharfie disputes True New Zealand Trade Union Leader and an internationalist who stood up for what she believed in until her passing.
Native New Zealand flora and fauna evolved over millions of years and therefore is vulnerable to the introduction of pests which are abundant on the dirty, insecure and unchecked containers arriving on foreign ships, especially those flying flags of convenience. MUNZ should use the issue of bio security to gain leverage with the general population to effect change to government policy. This could be a highly charged public issue especially after the GE fiasco in which the National government went completely against the wishes of the people. Any campaign by the union which has the public behind it is going to make an impact. It is crucial that the struggle for the environment becomes an integral part of our strategy. An example of this is the Maritime Unions stand against nuclear war ships in the 70s and 80s long before public protest had reached massive proportions.
In 2015 Helen Kelly agreed to let documentary maker Tony Sutorius - the award-winning director of Campaign - into her life to document her last year of activism. The result is Helen Kelly: Together a stunning affirmation of Helen’s dedication to justice, and her friendships with those she fought alongside. Equal parts moving and inspiring, funny and tragic, the film is as much about what it is to be a Kiwi as it is about Helen’s astounding life.
Free Trade /Cabotage/ International Solidarity. There is no such thing as free trade. The idea of free trade came from European colonialists and US imperialists who saw nothing wrong with slave trade. The term is still nothing more than a smoke screen for the freedom powerful nations and corporations to plunder the human and natural resources of the rest of the world. The workers antidote to this is called free trade is cabotage and international solidarity.
The unions had been campaigning and taking industrial action against nuclear war ships coming into NZ waters. At the height of the protest in early 1983 the campaign struck with the arrival of the American USS Truxtun. In a snap election, the Muldoon government was ejected from office by a landslide. NZ and Australian Seafarers are not looking to keep the foreign cheap labour crews off ships, instead striving to help unions through the ITF in these respective countries to gain strength and achieve better wages and conditions. One day, we will rely on their solidarity and support for our cabotage and other forms of self-determination and independence in this part of the world. Our international solidarity work should be and is strengthened through the direct links with other unions around the world, as well as through the international transport workers Federation (ITF) which are meeting in Canberra this week with MUA and MUNZ to talk about cabotage and strategize for the reintroduction of Coastal shipping in ITF affiliate countries.
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
ELECTION 2020 September 19th
Paul Baggott MUNZ Executive MUNZ Delegate Otaki LEC
Have your say! Vote! Every 3 years New Zealanders have their chance to choose who will be the next Government! It is a privilege that not every Nation has, where a Countries citizens have the right to vote in free and democratic elections, where people have a voice about the way they are governed. Earlier this year our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the next New Zealand National Elections will be held on September 19th, 2020. This election is vital for the Workers of this country, after 9 years of attacks on workers’ rights, low or no wage rises and threats made against unions by the Key National Government, we have seen a substantial turn around under the current Labour lead Coalition Government, with substantial wage increases for many industries including Nursing and Teaching! Increases in the minimum wage and the push to have more low-income workers paid the living wage, the abolition of “Voluntary” school Fees, the first year of post-secondary school education or training is now free. Paid Parental Leave is increasing to 26 weeks. Recently the Coalition government announced $8 billon to be spent in upgrading infrastructure with investment in Schools, Hospitals, Rail and Roads. After 9 years of Nationals neglect these upgrades are long overdue! Members are reminded that MUNZ is a Labour affiliated union, which means that we offer our support to a political party that we feel best represents the interests of our Members, our families and the country as a whole. Affiliation also gives us a voice within the party, access to MP’s and some voting rights as a union within the Labour party, at Labour Electorate Committee (LEC) -Otaki, the annual Conference and with party leadership selection. We also have connections with the CTU (council of Trade Unions) who ran a workshop at the Beehive last year where we reminded Labour MP’s of their pledge to revisit Coastal Shipping and we advised them of the need to invest in the training of more New Zealand seafarers! The re-election of Labour to Government is vital to preserve the gains made over the last 3 years and there is still a lot of work to be done! The complicate business of Government means not everything can be solved at once or even in the first term of office! There are many more issues to be addressed. Such is the scale of damage done by the last
National Government that it will take many years - several terms in Government, to fix and created a fair Nation for all New Zealanders. This Election is going to be different with National adopting a negative Trump style of campaigning, they will use Lie’s, Fake News, Alternative Facts and Personal Attacks both in the mainstream media -TV/Radio/ Newspapers, and on Social media. Expect Trolls to be heavily used on blogs and news feeds! Treat negative information with care, research and fact checks should reveal the truth. As well as your usual 2 votes -one for your Local Candidate and one for the Party vote, there are also 2 referendum’s in this year’s elections. Please use your votes wisely and return the current government. Reelecting the last lot will turn back the gains made under Labour and the coalition. What can you do? This election affects not just us but our Families, our children and the wider community. Spend time talking about the issues with people, your Whanau, Friends and workmates. Volunteer to support your local candidate, join the local branch of the party! But most important is to exercise your democratic right to VOTE In Unity Paul Baggott MUNZ Executive MUNZ Delegate Otaki LEC
URGENT NOTICE! MUNZ National Elections 2020 Please ensure your contact details are up to date by emailing me jim.king@munz.org.nz or kat.achterberg@munz.org.nz Alternatively you can provide your local MUNZ Representatives/ Delegates your details and they will ensure they are passed on to this office. It’s extremely important you update your details so that you receive your ballot forms to elect your National Office Officials.
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
Fiona Mansell Wellington Women’s Representative Executive Member Wellington Branch
From November 2019 until the middle of December 2019 there were a series of Christmas functions held in Wellington, Nelson, and Auckland, with the MUNZ National Council Meeting along with the Older-timers Function also being held in Wellington. I decided to put a few pictures in this edition for you to have a good look at. My apologies to those that have pictures in here and your names are not present.
MUNZ FUNCTIONS
Wellington/Nelson/Auckland & November National Council Meeting National Council Meeting Wellington November 2019
Jim King Wlg Branch Secretary and Hector Thorpe AKL Branch – President
Will Tracey Deputy National – President Secretary MUA, Mick Williams Wellington Branch
Craig Harrison AKL Assistant Branch Secretary, Jim King, (Minister) Phil Twyford, Karl Finlay – National President
Russell Mayne, AKL Secretary and Hector Thorpe AKL Branch – President
Ray Fife
Karl Findlay, Phil Twyford, Joe Fleetwood
Wellington Old-Timers Function Waterloo November 2019
Nelson Christmas Function December 6th 2019
Craig Harrison, John Whiting, Mick Williams and Russell Mayne
Duncan McKeown, and Nelson Branch President Paul Saggers (Staggers)
New MUNZ Members James Sales, Tom Langley, Renee Hargreaves, Lyneah Panui, Gwendal Manneheut, Dathan Barkhausen, Aidan Engstrom, Caitlin Cooper, Ella Gaudie, Chelsea King, Kate Earl, Rachel Shipman, Ariane Lalusin,
Michelle Anesu, Julius Gonzales, Michelle Smith, Meg Walls, Sheein Hong, Jesska Mullis, Johnny Tollison, Cecilia Monzora, Emily Hart, Rubin Gower, Debbie Benton, Joshua Waaka, Sisile Tu’itupou, Ashok Kumar, Afa Tealei, Colbert Pasaribu.
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
Wellington Christmas Functions December 7th & 14th 2019
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly
Wellington Branch Contacts Jimmy King Branch Secretary/Treasurer DDI: 04 38 59288 Mobile: 020 483 6262 Email: jim.king@munz.org.nz John Whiting Branch Assistant Secretary Mobile: 021 606 379 Email: john.whiting@munz.org.nz Mick Williams Branch President Mobile: 022 309 8959 Email: mick.williams@munz.org.nz Peter Stills Vice President Mobile: 027 558 9282 Email: cmanp@hotmail.com Fiona Mansell Women’s Rep Executive Mobile: 022 302 3010 Email: feemansell@gmail.com Tony Mowbray Executive Member Mobile: 027 6376 561
Jacob Blaikie Youth Rep Executive Mobile: 022 658 3825 Email: blaikiejacob@gmail.com George McIntosh Executive Member Mobile: 027 392 7507 Email: georgeandjill@xtra.co.nz Lynette Payne Executive Member Mobile: 027 355 9080 Email: awaywiththeferries@hotmail.com Paul Baggott Executive Member Mobile: 027 688 8002 Email: paulsown@hotmail.com
Ports (Wellington) Bradley Clifford Executive Member Mobile: 021 176 5928 Email: bradleyclifford@msn.com Jason Penny Executive Member Mobile: 021 537 287 Email: jaypndawhare@gmail.com
National Office Officials Contacts Joe Fleetwood National Secretary Mobile: 021 364 649 Direct dial: 04 801 7614 Email: joe.fleetwood@munz.org.nz Carl Findlay National President Mobile: 021 760 887 Email: carl.findlay@munz.org.nz
Selwyn Russell National Vice President Mobile: 027 478 2308 Email selwyn.russell@munz.orgn.z Ray Fife Assistant National Secretary Mobile: 027 447 5317 Email: ray.fife@munz.org.nz
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly