Maritime Worker April 2023

The Maritime Worker Te Whanganui-a-Tara

NELSON DEMO BACKS NZ COASTAL SHIPPING

Members,

Firstly, thanks to the Nelson Branch for organising the demonstration to highlight the need to continue pressure on the government in regard to Section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act.

After 30 years this negative legislation is still affecting both coastal shipping and the trans-Tasman trade ending with our domestic supply chain.

This overall situation along with the seafarers who recently lost their jobs on the two Maersk ships Maersk Nansha and Maersk Nadi in the Coastal Connect service shows the need for the Government to act.

We need job security for New Zealand Seafarers and secure domestic supply chains.

These massive global shipping corporates prefer to exploit cheap foreign labour rather than employ New Zealand seafarers in their own coastal industry on decent wages and conditions.

Congestion in ports is a real issue but by dumping New Zealand crews is not the answer!

Maersk have removed two New Zealand crewed ships only to replace them with three ships manned by foreign crews and trading to Australian ports.

This does not fix the port congestion issues, instead it is all about exploiting the loophole in Section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act to allow foreign ships to carry coastal cargo between New Zealand ports.

What is now needed, more than ever, is further pressure to continue on the Government with any form of action similar to Nelson being essential for the campaign by continuing to get the message across in the public domain.

This is where all members have to play their part in their respective ports when any action is organised. Even though it wasn’t a massive turn out I think it was effective in once again getting our message out there.

Continued on page 2

NEWSLETTER OF THE WELLINGTON BRANCH OF THE MARITIME UNION OF NEW ZEALAND

Continued from page 1

Once again thanks to the Nelson branch especially the Veterans and retired members for their ongoing support, the delegation from the Ferries, the Wellington Branch exec delegation, Victor Billot for the pamphlets and media work, and to national officials Craig Harrison (National Secretary) and Ray Fife (Assistant National Secretary) for attending.

At the conclusion of the rally two resolutions were presented and passed unanimously:

• that MUNZ leadership reaffirm the Trans-Tasman accord with the MUA (Moved–Mick Williams, Seconded–Tony Mowbray)

• For the Minister of Transport to change Section 198 of the Maritime Transport Act (Moved–Mick Williams, Seconded–Ian Barker)

In Unity

Deane Hogg (President, Nelson Branch)

Hollianne Payne (Secretary, Nelson Branch)

Tony Mowbray (President, Wellington Branch)

Connemara in service

MV Connemara, the newest and largest addition to the StraitNZ Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries’ fleet, has arrived in Wellington.

Following a 40-day journey from France via the Panama Canal, the Connemara , purchased from the Stena Group, began service in February.

The Connemara is 187 metres long, with of gross tonnage of 24414 tonnes. It can carry up 500 passengers and has 120 cabins, including a few dog friendly ones. It also has escalator access from the main vehicle deck.

Bluebridge Operations Manager Ollie Muller with Wellington Branch Assistant Secretary Fiona Mansell, aboard the Connemara

Maritime Worker can be viewed

Jim King Secretary/Treasurer Wellington Branch

KiwiRail

1. Kaitaki

In early March, a fault in a bearing occurred in one of Kaitaki’s two gearboxes when it was in port in Wellington. This is unrelated to the earlier incident. This meant Kaitaki was out of service until 10 April. In further work, the vessel will be out of service for approx. two days due to work being carried out on the boilers.

2. Aratere Aratere also had engine troubles outside of Tory Channel back in February Entrance, and was forced to use the northern entrance.

3. Caterers claims

Kiwi Rail – InterIslander has rejected our Caterers claim for a pay increase. But their response doesn’t address some of our members concerns.

KR–IIL Manager Walter Rushbrook says the request for an increase stems from a pay increase to InterIslander Able Bodied Seafarer and Cook positions from 1 January 2023.

Walter stated the ring fenced pay increase went some way in addressing concerns our Union had about their ongoing retention and recruitment at a particularly challenging time and during our peak summer travel season.

He advised that he is not in a position to offer a pay increase for other Interislander crew positions outside of the Collective Agreement bargaining process.

The relevant Collective Agreement expires on 30 September 2023. His view is this is the time to table any pay claims with KR–IIL. He also noted the collective agreement pay rate increase and a one off lump sum payment in our last CEA negotiation. Not too sure why he’s mentioned this, as it has nothing to do with what the members were claiming.

Incidentally, the lump sum payment was in lieu of the service allowance, this is what the company agreed to pay us. It was the cheaper option for KR-IIL to pay this, and our claim was to have this part of the CEA. This service allowance is what our Bosuns receive and all of the KR-IIL Officers and Engineers, but not all MUNZ members.

KR–IIL’s final spin was, they continue to work with their leaders on developing an engaged workforce and they value all our InterIslander people and the work they do. Our people continue to do a fantastic job in often difficult circumstances. We have to wonder what this means in reality.

Another letter has been sent to Walter from our concerned members, asking him to address their original concerns.

StraitNZ – Bluebridge

4. Connemara

The Connemara, got into trouble on the way to Picton on Friday 24 March. It returned and docked in Wellington with assistance on Saturday.

Bluebridge said Connemara had experienced an issue with an engine and is undergoing repairs in Wellington.

5. June 2023 CEA Negotiations

A letter went out to the members on the Bluebridge Ferries advising them of the up and coming wage rounds in June, and asking them to start compiling their remits.

6. Union membership

We have been inundated with new applications from new recruits sourced from overseas. This is excellent for our union as a whole.

I note the great interest in union membership coming from the Blue Bridge ferries, great stuff!

KR-IIL recruitment is excellent too, with our delegates signing up new members to the Union. I have also noticed growth in members applying to join the Maritime Retirement Scheme (MRS).

7. Injury aboard Straitsman

One of our members who was hit by a truck on the Straitsman on Friday 24 February was released from hospital with a broken wrist. Bluebridge is working with Maritime NZ to establish how the incident happened.

It was a trainee (DWR) staff member who was injured on the main vehicle deck of the ferry.

Our member appeared to have suffered an injury to his wrist, as well as bruising down the body. I had spoken to Ollie Muller about the incident, and have also spoken to the member, along with attending an investigation with Bluebridge over the incident.

The incident is the latest in a string of unfortunate events for the Cook Strait ferry operators. Bluebridge and Interislander ferries have both been hit with breakdowns and engine problems over the past few weeks.

Continued on page 4

Some of the ferries have broken down partway through journeys across the strait, which is a concern for MUNZ.

Offshore

8. Australian Offshore Solutions (AOS) Q7000 semi-submersible

Everything going well as expected. Timeline for expected delivery:

ETD ex Malaysia 23 March,

ETA Fremantle 10 April

ETD Fremantle 14–15 April

ETA NZ 30 April

9. MUA – MUNZ meeting – New Zealand unemployed seafarers

A meeting was held between George Gakis (MUA), and Craig Harrison and I from MUNZ, on the issue of Maersk vessels pulling out of their New Zealand coastal shipping service. This has now created a problem with rising numbers of unemployed seafarers on our database.

In this case the MUA is currently helping us out by crewing the Q7000 (Semi-Sub) off Taranaki, which is approximately a three-month campaign.

The outcome of the meeting was MUA members will remain on the Q7000 as they are already there.

Putting our members on to the Semi-Sub is not quite that easy. It’s not like normal rig tenders where our members have all the usual maritime qualifications to work these vessels. But to work on the semi subs they require an additional certificate this is called the BOSIET.

All our AB’s and IRs in the offshore are not required to hold these certs, because it’s very rare that a semi-sub comes here to work in New Zealand waters.

I had contacted John Spurway at AOS NZ and advised them there will be some unemployed seafarers coming back onto the NZ database. I also reminded him that it was agreed by AOS Australia that they would need to put our members through the BOSIET certification.

Unfortunately, like the other manning agents, they have no interest in paying for the BOSIET training for our unemployed seafarers. This is a battle that’s been around for many years.

Usually when semi-subs come to work here in New Zealand, they are

only here for a few months. So, for deck or engine room departments, it’s not feasible for them to obtain these certs which costs thousands of dollars, just for the sake of a few months’ work.

The BOSIET certs are valid for five years, so after the short stint on the Q7000, they’ll probably never use the BOSIET cert again.

Unlike the Cooks and Stewards, who can pretty much use their BOSIETS all year round on either the semi subs, or any of the platform rigs because they can work there, MUNZ does not have coverage on the platform rigs at all.

NIWA

A Personal Grievance letter has gone to NIWA due to serious communication problems that arose on the Tangaroa. Members raised concerns over working public holidays as to what are the applicable rates that need to be applied.

General

10. Maritime Worker newsletter

Please keep your emails, articles and pictures rolling in, they will be published in the next edition of the Wellington Maritime Worker, space permitting.

The next edition of the Maritime Worker is due out in June 2023.

11. Wellington Database

I expect the database numbers to rise very soon due to the mass redundancies with Maersk.

12. Stop Work meeting

Next Stop Work Meeting is set down for new date and day, Wednesday 10 May to be held 10am at the National Office Conference room, first Floor, Waterside House, 220 Willis Street.

13. 2023 up and coming wage Negotiations for Wellington Branch

• Blue Bridge – Ferries – June 2023

• Offshore Oil and Gas – October 2023

• StraitNZ – Wellington and Picton Terminals – June 2023

• NIWA – second phase of 2022 Terms of Settlement – June 2023

• KiwiRail InterIslander – October 2023

• Dutch Dredging – December 2023

14. Wage rounds current

• NIWA Vessels (Settled)

• C3 Log Marshalling (Current)

• C3 Stevedoring (Current)

• SGS (current)

15. Obituaries

The Branch notes with sadness the passing of former NZSU official Jimmy Woods and former member and cook Tony Stiles.

It is with deep regret that MUNZ received the sad news of former NZSU Wellington Secretary Jimmy Woods crossing the bar at the age of 95 years. A family private service was held in Wellington. Our deepest condolences go to Jimmy’s family, friends, and comrades all around the world.

Thanks, Jimmy, for your great contribution to New Zealand Seafarers and working people of New Zealand.

A full obituary by Mick Williams is published later in this edition of the Maritime Worker.

2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October.

Straitsman heads to Guernsey

The Straitsman ferry has been sold to Guernsey-based Condor Ferries.

It is understood Condor Ferries intends to rename the 13,906-GT ferry – which is still currently operating on Bluebridge’s Cook Strait schedule alongside the 27,414-GT Connemara – and deploy it in service by the Europe autumn season.

Formerly known as the Dueodde, the 2005-built Straitsman became the most modern vessel in Cook Strait operation at the time of it replacing the Monte Stello in late 2010.

In a recent service alert, Bluebridge announced that the 186.63-metre Connemara had taken over the scheduled sailings of the 186-metre and 21,856-GT Strait Feronia, while the latter was undergoing drydock in Sydney until the end of March, ensuring the ferry operator maintained a two-vessel service.

The Straitsman will now head to the Channel Islands

A trainee crew member was injured aboard the Straitsman on Friday 24 February

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY FIONA MANSELL

Every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world.

This is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to any divisions.

In Aotearoa New Zealand we have so many wahine who have worked hard, defeated the odds, stepped out of their comfort zones, spoken up for their own people, their land and anything else that was/is wrong in this country.

They achieved results that would never have been resolved had they not led the way.

Her catch cry “Not one acre more” ignited the modern Māori land rights movement. This indigenous land rights movement known as Te Roopu o Te Matakite started with 50 marchers, and ended with 5,000 assembling on the forecourt of Parliament where a 60,000-signature memorial of rights was presented. A demand for justice!

For most of the twentieth century Dame Whina Cooper used her charisma to challenge and battle the status quo and fight for a nation still in denial about the Treaty. She was fearless and articulate in both Māori and English.

The work she accomplished is remembered in the film Whina but should also be remembered by learning from the past, educating ourselves, our children, and grandchildren.

Not everyone agreed with Dame Whina, she often had many robust debates within her own tribe and though she was shunned in her community, she still she stuck to her beliefs.

A memorial statue of Dame Whina was unveiled on 2 February 2020 in Panguru-Hokianga by her son Joe Cooper and the Prime Minister at the time Jacinda Ardern in honour of her.

A moment her family will be immensely proud of.

DAME WHINA COOPER

A beautiful Wahine Toa, Hohepine Te Wake better known as Dame Whina Cooper was a leader for her people. She was born 9 December 1895 and died 26 March 1994 at age 98. She was also known as Te Whaea o te Motu (Mother of the Nation).

Her courageous spirit, strong will and tenacity is what drove her to get through the many battles of her life.

In particular, she led the historic 1975 Maori Land March from Te Hapua (Northland Region) to Wellington, a march that was nearly 1,100km long at the age of 79.

This march led by Dame Whina was the second big event of the decade which turned a lot of people into activists.

HELEN KELLY

Another Wahine Toa is Helen Kelly, an extraordinary leader. Born in Wellington on 19 September 1964, Helen came from a strong union background. Her father Pat Kelly was a well-known unionist, and her mother Catherine was active in the anti-Vietnam war movement.

She was brought up around unions, her playground was at union meetings, her home was union central with visitors constantly coming in to discuss union business.

As a primary school teacher Helen was appointed union delegate on her first day teaching. It is no surprise then that she quickly became actively involved in union affairs.

From 2007–2015 Helen was President for the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU). She was an outspoken advocate in many areas especially improving safety standards in the forestry industry, which resulted in her campaigning for a review into the industry.

In one instance where the government refused to press charges against a forestry employer, Helen led a private prosecution against the company.

The industry accident rate fell from 10 deaths in 2013 to 1 in 2014 and 3 in 2015. This is only one of many battles Helen Kelly fought.

She was right in there campaigning after the Pike River Mine disaster that killed 29 miners, fighting for improved safety standards and justice through the courts for miners’ families.

She was a supporter of the Unite Union’s campaign against zero-hour contracts, and led campaigns exposing farmers offering jobs at below minimum wage.

In 2010 she was involved in a controversial debate with The Warner Bros’ Hobbit Films, regarding contract workers’ rights in the film industry.

After she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015 and during her illness, she continued leading the way and

Fiona Mansell Assistant Branch Secretary Wellington

campaigned for the right to die with dignity and the right to use medicinal cannabis.

Helen passed away on 14 October 2016 leaving a great legacy.

Both of the above women never gave up advocating even when faced with different types of adversity. The lives of Damn Whina Cooper and Helen Kelly are encouraging, empowering, educating and well worth remembering. These are the attributes I want to fulfil in my life as a woman in our union.

This year, a few of us MUNZ women got together and celebrated, most of us seafarers from Interislander.

However, one special friend of ours Rebecca Hauck, National Women’s Rep for RMTU and a Shunter for Kiwirail, also joined us. We always get excited when we get to hang out with RMTU women regardless of any issues in the past between our unions. It was a great night, the first of many which will grow in years to come.

FAMILY PICNIC DAY

Another great day with members and whanau, thanks to everyone who turned up, and helped out.

We would love it if more members could attend. The next picnic TBC.

PORT UPDATE

C3: negotiations still active, contract expired 20 October 2022.

SGS Nelson: negotiations finished.

CPL: monthly Health and Safety meetings have been consistent, quite a few issues have been raised and discussed.

Women crew on the Aratere commemorate International Women’s Day

Maritime Union Wellington Branch members at their International Women’s Day event

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

OBITUARY

Members,

Considering the recent events involving the crews on Maersk vessels, it is clear that the reality of what has been happening since the opening of our coast in the 1990s has not changed.

Although we have made progress with the recent Coastal Shipping campaign regarding small coastal services, it has not gone far enough.

It is evident that loopholes for foreignowned shipping companies still exist and that the government needs to fully listen to our lobbying efforts of nearly 30 years.

We demand ships engaging in domestic trade on our coast, regardless of whether they include Pacific Island or Australian ports, should have New Zealand crews just like they used to.

It is unacceptable that New Zealand seafarers can still be ‘dumped’ and replaced within two days by a vessel arriving at one of the same ports as the previous vessels that employed our

JAMES PETER (JIMMY) WOODS

Died 11 March 2023

New Zealand Seamen’s Union Wellington/National Secretary (1971 – 1988).

BY MICK WILLIAMS MUNZ LIFE MEMBER

Jimmy served as New Zealand Seaman’s Union National/Wellington Secretary from 1971–1988 and worked back in the industry from 1988 until his retirement off Arahura in 1993.

Jimmy was a family man, a union man, and a Seafarers Union life member. MUNZ officials and members offer their deep and sincere condolences to his family. We share your loss, for he was a true friend of the Seafarers.

Jimmy died at the age of 95. He was an influential trade unionist for New Zealand Seafarers and internationally through the ITF. He held office at a time when British-born union leaders were vilified by the Muldoon National government.

He was involved in disputes on the Cook Strait ferries, the anti-nuclear apartheid campaigns while fighting for wages and conditions for members.

Despite the attacks he and fellow official Dave Morgan suffered from the

members. This is nothing short of a slap in the face.

Action must be taken in all ports against these ships. We must raise public awareness and make the Government fully understand our industry’s situation.

We need to ensure that Maritime New Zealand enforce strict standards for these vessels while they are working on our coast, not just when New Zealand crews are onboard.

We have recently seen Firemen, Nurses, and Teachers take action to be taken seriously by those who can make changes.

With the recent withdrawal of our tankers and these two ships, it may be the ideal time to put added pressure on the Government to move back towards a National Shipping Line.

This will safeguard employment in our industry and also secure supply chains, instead of continuously living under the threat of withdrawal of essential services.

Government, they brushed them off like water off a duck’s back.

Jimmy will be remembered by seafarers as one of New Zealand’s most significant trade union figures and a man who always acted with integrity.

Jimmy fought for the rights of Seafarers’ wages and conditions and campaigned for issues such as overseas trade and SCONZY (Shipping Corporation).

As a workers’ representative on the arbitration court, he never lost a case.

He remained an active Merchant Navy representative until the end.

Jimmy made a significant contribution to New Zealand trade union struggles and was able to stand his ground with politicians and management alike.

He was not intimidated by shipowners and was one of the best negotiators I have ever witnessed at the table. The bosses knew where they stood with him, and he only ever had to say things once.

Jimmy along with Dave Morgan supported the liberation struggles as well as the British miners’ dispute. Jimmy’s delivery of a container of meat for the families of the Miners’ Strike of 1984–1985 showed his compassion. His friendship with UK National Union of Seamen and work on ITF campaigns made him an internationalist.

We have lost a great friend, shipmate, and trade unionist. Jimmy may be gone but he will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.

TONY MOWBRAY #1154 WELLINGTON BRANCH PRESIDENT

OFFSHORE WIND POWER IN TARANAKI

Port Taranaki has joined a multi-party working group that will assess how the port can serve as a hub for offshore wind power development in New Zealand.

The others in the grouping are the NZ Super Fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Taranaki Offshore Partnership (TOP) and BlueFloat Energy (BFE).

The agreement signed between the parties is for a study that will help build an understanding of how the port’s assets, infrastructure and land can support the growth of a New Zealand offshore wind industry.

The study will determine if port upgrades and investments are needed for offshore wind developers to construct, operate and maintain their projects.

This includes assessment of the port’s wharves, crane lifting capacity, land and storage layout and the specific need to transport and service wind turbines.

The results of the study will be part of the broader respective feasibility activities being undertaken by TOP and by BFE in relation to their separate planned offshore wind projects in Waikato and South Taranaki with BFE’s partner, Elemental Group.

Port Taranaki chief executive Simon Craddock notes the potential for offshore wind production and believes Port Taranaki has a key role to play in support of this emerging industry.

Taranaki Offshore Partnership’s Giacomo Caleffi said with multiple developers indicating interest in offshore wind development in Taranaki and beyond, it makes sense to work together on a Port Taranaki study.

The outcomes will be relevant to assessing the feasibility of any of the proposed developments.

He said that from their experience, with CIP’s portfolio of many offshore wind projects operational, under construction and in-development in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, it is important to collaborate with key partners and other developers.

BlueFloat Energy Country Manager for New Zealand Nathan Turner said: “We are strong advocates for developing the offshore wind industry collaboratively and this will help all of us to keep up the momentum.

“Port Taranaki is ideally positioned for both of the offshore wind projects we have recently announced in South Taranaki and Waikato. As the only deep water port on the west coast, Port Taranaki will be central to building a successful offshore wind industry in New Zealand.”

STYLE CORNER

comrade!

Sailor Tailor, Pat Harcus with his new look jacket, made from a coffee bean sack. He may have started a new trend in fashion (haute couture), who knows? Good work

Pictured above is Pat with Alan (Scruff) Windsor (top) and MUNZ National Secretary Craig Harrison (bottom)

Living Wage campaign

WILLIAM BROCKWAY YOUTH DELEGATE WELLINGTON

Hi Members,

Some of you may know about the living wage movement. This awesome movement is ensuring more and more workers are getting paid the more dignified living wage rather than the abysmal minimum wage.

Some of the campaigning we have been doing recently has involved a stall at the Newtown festival, public forums with council candidates and sitting councillors and recently a gathering on the Victoria University campus.

The cleaners at Victoria University are not paid a living wage, some struggling with bills and putting food on the table. The movement organized a gathering in the court yard on campus to inform students about the ongoing issues that management seem to brush aside.

With the new living rate of $26 an hour being announced it really shows the minimum wage of $22.70 an hour just isn’t enough for workers anymore. The cost of living is rising, the cost of the workers time hasn’t. Drop me a line if you’re interested in helping out in anyway.

In solidarity.

Email williaminscotland@gmail.com

Members at the recent Wellington Branch family picnic day

Proud to be a MUNZ Kid –Wellington Branch t-shirts proving popular

A crew on Kaiarahi shows support for the Nelson coastal shipping demonstration

ITF training March 2023 in Auckland, inspecting ships in port and checking on crew welfare.

Pictured here aboard the ANL Tasman Trader at Fergusson Wharf are from left MUNZ National Organizer Graham McKean, MUNZ Nelson Branch Secretary Hollianne Payne, MUNZ Wellington Branch Assistant Secretary Fiona Mansell and ITF Australia Co-ordinator Matt Purcell.

Maersk shipping decision highlights weak supply chain security

BY CRAIG HARRISON NATIONAL SECRETARY, MARITIME UNION OF NEW ZEALAND

The decision by Maersk to dump their New Zealand coastal shipping service Coastal Connect shows how vulnerable our supply chains remain to decisions made in overseas boardrooms.

Maersk’s announcement failed to acknowledge its decisions have real impacts on real people.

A few short months ago, in June 2022, Maersk stated the launch of the dedicated New Zealand coastal service marked “an important milestone in our 25 years of operation in the country as we continue to invest in the New Zealand market to offer reliable connections, both for domestic and international cargo.”

According to Maersk, the Coastal Connect service was intended to “protect critical connections to our International services and maintain buffer in our schedule to absorb impact from the supply chain disruption …”

This all made perfectly good sense, and still does. What has changed since June 2022? Reliable connections (and supply chain disruptions) are still important factors for New Zealand importers and exporters. The lack of dedicated New Zealand coastal shipping is still a problem.

Coastal Connect was a dedicated New Zealand coastal service, linking New Zealand ports, crewed by New Zealand crews, and ensuring a reliable shipping schedule.

It has been thrown out in favour of a rejigging of the existing Polaris service which sees Maersk vessels on a weekly rotation between a smaller number of New Zealand ports and Australia.

It is an extremely disappointing action by the world’s largest shipping corporation.

New Zealand seafarers joined the Maersk Nandi and Maersk Nansha as crew in good faith last year. Many left behind secure permanent jobs on other coastal vessels such as the Cook Strait ferries. Now they have been put out of work and effectively replaced once again by low wage foreign crews on an international service.

Conditions on the two Maersk ships were not very good. The ships had been in service in international waters and that means developing world onboard conditions for crew. However, our members were committed to making the new service a success and were working through the issues.

After barely getting established, the service has been shelved, leading to job losses and more uncertainty in the industry. The supply chain has not returned to a pre-COVID normal and may never. Security issues, economic volatility and the repercussions of rampant climate change all present threats going forward to our supply chain and maritime capacity.

New Zealand has always been at the behest of giant shipping companies. The names and technologies have changed over the years but the principles remained the same: New Zealand is very profitable for these operators, but it has very little control over what happens.

The problem has got worse in the several decades since New Zealand coastal shipping was effectively undermined, and left to slowly collapse through hostile Government policies, up until the present administration’s more progressive approach.

RESULT OF NEGLECT

The result of this neglect became apparent when shipping delays and transport disruptions during COVID created major and costly problems for New Zealand, which continued in the post COVID era.

This led to a change of heart from port executives and transport industry bigwigs who suddenly became new converts to the idea of New Zealand coastal shipping.

In 2022, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced $30 million of seed funding to get New Zealand coastal shipping back in the game. The decision was a success.

Pacifica Shipping brought on another container ship to supplement their existing coastal vessel, and a number of other existing operators and new entrants have introduced new coastal services.

Maersk did not apply for this funding, but it didn’t need to. It is the second largest shipping conglomerate in the world, and posted a record profit of over $30 billion last year, of which New Zealand contributed a small but not insignificant fraction.

The message cannot get any clearer.

We are not being served well by our reliance on foreign shipping giants.

New Zealand is a maritime trading nation and we are floundering when it comes to looking after our interests and economic security.

The last three years have delivered hard lessons one after the other. What are some positive steps that can be taken?

We need New Zealand trained and domiciled seafarers working on the New Zealand coast. Jobs need to have attractive wages and conditions. There is an urgent requirement for training. Shipping companies like Maersk have a social obligation to play a part here.

The ‘blue highway’ provides a low emission, low impact and low cost transport mode.

Coastal shipping can function when disaster disrupts road and rail links – note the recent re-introduction of a Napier–Gisborne container service, following the cyclone.

BUILDING MARITIME CAPABILITY

We need further measures to build New Zealand’s maritime capability, including cabotage.

One idea is for KiwiRail to extend their operations from inter island ferries to general coastal services.

Two new ferries are due but not until 2025/2026, and some more leased modern container ships could be an interim (or permanent) solution on the New Zealand coast.

Major exporters such as Fonterra must start working with New Zealand coastal shipping to move their product domestically.

They have an obligation to help build local infrastructure, and this will provide them with redundancy in their operations as well.

Finally we need a national port strategy. The situation in the Northern region shows what happens when essential national infrastructure becomes an election football for local body politics.

We are already seeing progress, with industry and unions working together on a number of initiatives in the port sector, but it needs to be scaled up with direction from the Government. Ports working together in a hub and spoke model, served by dedicated local shipping, would be a huge step forward.

Our supply chain security in an uncertain world is too important to be left in the hands of companies like Maersk.

Port workers back health and safety plan

Unions representing port workers say a new port health and safety plan is a good start to making New Zealand ports safer workplaces.

The Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan was launched at Centreport in Wellington in February 2023.

The plan was the result of the collaboration of the Port Health and Safety Leadership Group which is made up of unions, ports and stevedoring companies, the Port Industry Association, Maritime NZ and WorkSafe.

The PHSLG advises the Minister of Transport.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says some of the key aspects of the plan are locking in fatigue guidelines and an Approved Code of Practice for port operations.

He says unions have been advocating for these actions for many years.

Mr Harrison says there have been many examples of port workers being killed or seriously hurt on the job in recent years and change could not come soon enough.

“We have many large exporters and importers in New Zealand who we would like to see look at their supply chain practices and demand high standards from their stevedoring contractors.”

Mr Harrison says there is strong appreciation from port and maritime workers for the programme that Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety, and Minister of Transport, Michael Wood has driven forward recently in port safety.

Rail and Maritime Transport Union Acting General Secretary Todd Valster says the plan brings together a range of information on what is behind serious harm incidents in ports.

He says good progress has been made by the PHSLG and part of the success was that workers voices were being listened to.

Mr Valster says Maritime New Zealand has played a proactive role in developing the plan.

He says some key employers in the industry are showing better leadership on health and safety as well.

“This plan gives us another tool to make New Zealand ports safe workplaces.”

MUNZ National Secretary Craig Harrison speaks to media at the launch of the Ports Health and Safety plan at Centreport in February 2023

SUPPORT

NEW ZEALAND COASTAL SHIPPING