Maritimes September 2022

Contacts

Auckland Local 13

Russell Mayn

021 760 886

Secretary russell.mayn@munz.org.nz

Grant Williams 021 457 170

Assistant Secretary grant.williams@munz.org.nz

Hector Thorpe 027 777 7163

President hector.thorpe@munz.org.nz

Whangarei

Contact Auckland

Mount Maunganui – Tauranga

Selwyn Russell 027 4782 308

Secretary selwyn.russell@munz.org.nz

Leanne Jackson 021 652 885

Organizer leanne.jackson@munz.org.nz

Napier

Contents

National Secretary Report 3

The Resurgence of Coastal Shipping 6

Off switch pressed on Ports of Auckland automation 8

ITF: you have got to listen to the workers 10 ‘No last banter, no goodbyes, no last hugs’ 12

International Solidarity and the POAL dispute 16 Report into Napier ship fire released 18 Kawerau dispute 19

Youth Report 20

Branch Reports 20

International Dockerworkers Council (IDC) 21 Hitting the Target 24 Light at the End of the Funnel? 28 Ports of Auckland is Back on Track 30

Greg Primrose

021 028 23167 Secretary greg.primrose@munz.org.nz

New Plymouth

Josef Zaloum

022 062 9049 Secretary

Wellington

Jim King 020 483 6262

Secretary jim.king@munz.org.nz

Fiona Mansell 021 573244

Assistant Secretary fiona.mansell@munz.org.nz

Nelson

Deane Hogg 0210 2360854 President deanehogg@gmail.com

Lyttelton Local 43

Magazine info

The Maritimes is the official magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand ISSN 1176-3418

Authorised by Craig Harrison, 220 Willis Street, Wellington

Editor

Craig Harrison National Secretary craig.harrison@munz.org.nz

Editorial and production

Gary Horan

027 432 9620 Secretary gary.horan@munz.org.nz

Timaru

Shona Low 027 327 1156 President shona90814@gmail.com

Port Chalmers Dunedin Local 10

Josh Greer

027 348 2692

Secretary local10munz@xtra.co.nz

Bluff

Victor Billot victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Maritime Union of New Zealand

National Office Level One, Waterside House 220 Willis Street PO Box 27004 Wellington Wellington 6141 (04) 3850792 www.munz.org.nz

027 4475317 Secretary ray.fife@munz.org.nz

Ray Fife

CRAIG HARRISON NATIONAL SECRETARY

National Report

Our Unions National Council meeting

was held in Wellington on 12–13 July, with our Unions Finance Committee meeting on 11 July. I would like to acknowledge the hard work done by the Finance Committee with Ray Fife, Jim King, Gary Horan and Josh Greer all contributing to the debate and formulating resolutions for the National Council meeting that underpin the direction of our Union. This committee forms an import ant part of our organisation as it helps set the future of our Union by formulating resolutions to take to the National Council meeting to debate and endorse.

Coastal Shipping

I am pleased to report the Multi Union Collective Agreement between our Union, AMEA and the Merchant Services Guild, and Atlas for the two new Maersk vessels on our coast has been signed.

I would like to congratu late Jimmy King and Russell Mayn who drove the talks on our members behalf and ensured the terms and conditions in the Agreement are in line with what our members currently enjoy on the only other container vessel we currently crew on the coast.

The recent announcement by Swires in which we will see another Pacifica vessel added to our domestic container fleet later this year has been some of the best news we have heard in years. There are potential other opportunities with recent developments with new inter-island and

trans-Tasman services that we will be following up. We have recently seen a new operator in Move Logistics indicating it has plans for a coastal container vessel that will also start to move trans-Tasman freight.

This good news is tempered with the loss of both of our New Zealand flagged tankers and the long history of service our members have given to the industry over the years without incident. However I am confident that we will be able to find productive work for our members who have been displaced from these vessels to the new tonnage on the coast.

The ongoing global disruption to logistics and our supply chain means that New Zealand shipping will play an increasingly important role in the future, and it also stresses the need for a National Port Strategy.

Training

The reality is our Union and the indus try has challenges with an ageing seafar ing workforce and little in the way of education and investment in young New Zealanders into the industry. Years of neglect means seafaring has not been an attractive option for young people to consider as a career.

The Union is campaigning for support from the Government and all industry players to educate young New Zealanders and provide a pathway into the industry. For example with the amount of work in the Oil and Gas with the offshore decom missioning paid for by the New Zealand Government there was little in the way of training opportunities for young New Zealanders. I hope to have further news in the near future as we continue on with the campaign.

Ports

Through the work done by both National Office and the Auckland Branch our Union has seen some significant rulings come out of the Employment Court. Our Union supported our members who work for ISO in Tauranga (a company now owned by Qube in Australia.) This was through a long and protracted legal argu ment around Agreed Hours, Guaranteed Hours and Available Hours.

MUNZ National Secretary Craig Harrison

“...A GOOD ORGANISED WORKPLACE WITH TRAINED AND SUPPORTED DELEGATES IS WHAT ALL EMPLOYERS TRY HARD TO STOP”

The ruling from the court will change the nature of work for all Port workers as we start to renegotiate the Collective Agreements around the country. As we start to explain what the ruling means to our members and the various employ ers it will change the language around all employment agreements in relation to the allocation of labour.

unscrupulous employer can require work ers to work 60 hours over seven days with all the known health hazards and risks it brings into the workplace.

Our Union is in the process of bargaining a Collective Agreement with ISO in Tauranga led by Russell Mayn and myself. We are finally starting to deal with a company that has long impacted on the working conditions of all Port work ers. ISO has fought every inch in this process to try and find a way to not have a Collective Agreement with our Union. In our industry in the bulk and general oper ations, ISO would be one of the biggest employers.

We are also in the process of talking with ISL in Tauranga and Northland. This company operates in the bulk in general port operations in North Port and numerous other North Island ports and has staff contracted to work inside the Container Terminal at Sulphur Point.

This is on the back of the work done to roll back automation in the Ports of Auckland and the drive for national standards in stevedoring which our Union has been campaigning on for years. Unfortunately it was the recent deaths in the industry that prompted the Government to act. The Transport Minister Michael Wood instructed both WorkSafe and Maritime New Zealand to carry out numerous port inspections and then report back the findings. While this is going on, the Minister has directed the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) to investigate the recent death on the Auckland Waterfront and also the death on the Lyttelton Waterfront. Unlike WorkSafe and Maritime New Zealand, TAIC has wide ranging powers to compel companies and organisations to provide information.

Our Union has been involved with Maritime New Zealand and the wider industry around Fatigue in the port indus try. Through consultation, later this year there will be a robust guide for the indus try on what a good fatigue management system would look like based on science. The days are coming to an end when an

Over the coming year there will be a lot of work done in and around the Ports to lift our Unions density in our indus try. The formula is easy. If you have good Union density and workers are organised and educated, then most often than not we see good outcomes for our members with good employment agreements and safe workplaces.

This is hard work and takes hundreds of conversations with workers who have no experience of what a Union is, as they are usually educated by the employer. But as we all know a good organised work place with trained and supported dele gates is what all employers try hard to stop.

Union Strategy

Over coming months and into the New Year, our Union needs to start having the conversations around the various Branches about building our collective strength.

We are already seeing branches like Whangarei amalgamate with Auckland, and the result with a part-time organ iser is we are seeing significant growth of members in the port, as we got down to around three members and we now have over thirty.

Port of Tauranga

The picture is the same in some of our ports that need the support and the resources to grow. For some ports it could be amalgamations that bring Branches together to better utilise the resources so we have the ability to communicate with workers in all the ports.

As we see new technology come into the industry more and more, we will have to think what our Union looks like locally and nationally so we can ensure that we are doing our best for all our members future. This could mean that we start to look at port roles that in the past we didn’t focus on having coverage in our Collective Agreements

New membership

I can finish on a positive note saying that we are seeing growth in our membership around the country, with reports like the one Fiona Mansell of Wellington Branch delivered to National Council about new members being recruited in and around the Port of Wellington. I am also pleased to report that in Auckland in particular POAL we have seen our density restored to a level prior to the strikes and lock outs.

I have to commend our longstanding members who stayed strong over the last ten years and the delegates that never gave up the fight to once again put our Union at the forefront of the employment rela tionship. I would also like to congratulate the new workers at the Ports of Auckland who are joining our Union and will ensure our future in the Port Company. We are seeing similar reports from Lyttelton and the great work being done by Gary and delegates, and we now need to find a way to extend it to all ports.

International

We are seeing ongoing volatility in the global transport sector as the effects of COVID and war in Ukraine play out. Delays, disruption and extreme cost increases are the new norm. The free market globalization model pushed by global capital over the last generation is finished, and CEOs and business analysts openly admit we are moving into a new era where resilience and security are the new priorities. The industry as a whole has been stripped to a bare necessity

model that has relied on cheap casual labour and the reliance on workers in the Port industry regularly working signifi cant hours. As we have all witnessed the system has failed.

We are now in a strange situation in New Zealand with major economic issues resulting from our rapidly changing world including high inflation, but at the same time labour shortages are creating opportunities to negotiate better wages and conditions. The continued calls for migrant labour as if it will fix all our woes is part of the reason our country is in this state. There has been little investment from an industry that over the previous decades has seen significant returns taken out as profit.

At our National Council in July this year, our Union voted to affiliate with the International Dockworkers Council. This builds on and helps to strength our posi tion as we now start to deal with more and more international operators coming to our industry. Global links as in the past and going into the future will be as important as ever and our Union needs to continue to look at ways to build workers capital.

We are seeing major negotiations for the ILWU in the USA and strike action in the UK from dockers fighting for wages that try to keep up with the massive hike in living costs. This is on the back of ship ping companies taking record profits out of the industry while the majority of the world suffers, this profiteering can only be described as obscene and immoral. Our Union will be offering our support to our fellow workers in their struggles as they did in our struggles at the Ports of Auckland and the Port of Napier.

In closing I would like to thank all the officials and delegates that give their commitment to our Union, also the staff in the office for their effort and most importantly our members who choose to be part of our Union and help build our collective strength.

“IN AUCKLAND WE HAVE SEEN OUR DENSITY RESTORED TO A LEVEL PRIOR TO THE STRIKES AND LOCK OUTS”

THE RESURGENCE OF NEW ZEALAND COASTAL SHIPPING

New Zealand coastal shipping has gone through a once in a generation shift, with multiple new ships coming onto our coast. This remarkable turnaround follows decades of official neglect of New Zealand shipping which pushed the industry to the brink of survival.

Major disruptions in global shipping provided a wake up call in the last two years with massive disruptions affecting the New Zealand supply chain. Industry and unions helped develop a positive new policy with the Labour Government that has led to a resurgence for New Zealand shipping.

Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced on 24 May the Government had committed $30 million of fund ing for coastal shipping funding through the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) to improve domestic ship ping services, reduce emissions, improve efficiency and upgrade maritime infrastructure.

Waka Kotahi worked with the wider freight industry to select four applicants for co-investment in new and enhanced coastal shipping services.

The four successful applicants were Coastal Bulk Shipping Ltd, Move International Ltd, Swire Shipping NZ Ltd and Aotearoa Shipping Alliance.

Swire, the owners of Pacifica, will introduce an extra container vessel later in 2022 to supplement their existing ship Moana Chief, which has been the only

New Zealand flagged and crewed coastal container ship in service for some years.

Move Logistics is planning a ro-ro vessel service between New Plymouth and Nelson which is due to come into service in 2023.

In addition to the four operators who received funding support, global shipper Maersk have announced a new dedicated New Zealand coastal service, Maersk Coastal Connect, with two New Zealand crewed container ships starting on the coast in July 2022.

Two 2500 TEU capacity vessels, Maersk Nadi and Maersk Nansha, will call at Timaru, Lyttelton, Nelson, Auckland and Tauranga. Training a new generation Maritime Union National Secretary Craig Harrison says the big lesson from the last two years is New Zealand needs its own shipping capability that will provide resil ience and reliability in a volatile global situation.

He says the next goal for the Maritime Union is working with indus try, Government and training providers to build opportunities for young New Zealanders wanting a career in the mari time industry.

The failure of past Government’s to have a coastal shipping plan meant that New Zealand has an ageing maritime workforce, with few young people enter ing into the industry. This situation is now being addressed to build a pathway to train a new generation of New Zealand seafarers.

Shipping helps the environment Coastal shipping has also been recognized as a central part of our transition to a low carbon economy. Transport generates a vast amount of greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to the climate crisis that threatens our collective future. Coastal shipping is a low carbon emission trans port mode, and will be a leading way of

reducing New Zealand’s carbon emissions.

When the new shipping services are fully operational, the Government esti mates they will remove around 35 million kilometres of truck travel from New Zealand’s roading network every year. That means cost savings, less pollution, and safer and less congested roads. A long struggle The Maritime Union has been fighting a long battle to bring back coastal ship ping to its rightful place as a key trans port mode for New Zealand, following decades of ideologically driven attacks on New Zealand shipping and seafarers.

The sale of the New Zealand Shipping Corporation by the Fourth Labour Government in the 1980s was followed by the 1994 “open coast” policy of the National Government, which permitted over seas flagged ships to carry cargo between New Zealand ports.

Overseas vessels faced far lower overheads than New Zealand operators, with poor wages, conditions and health and safety for crew. Many of these foreign operators pay little or no corporate tax globally, paid no New Zealand tax, and more recently were exempt from emissions charges.

The result was an attrition where the New Zealand merchant fleet was reduced over time to a small fraction of its former size.

This situation was compounded by the removal of the two Silver Fern Shipping New Zealand coastal oil tankers this year following the closure of the Marsden Point oil refinery.

However, this dependence on overseas shipping eventually resulted in a nasty

shock to New Zealand business. The recent COVID pandemic led to major global disruptions to shipping. Freight rates rose steeply and service reliability plunged due to a global undersupply of shipping and disruption to global ports. Major delays were experienced with exports and imports, and many shipping services simply dropped off scheduled calls to regional ports with little notice.

New Zealand’s status as a remote and small maritime trading nation, at the end of long supply chains, made us uniquely vulnerable to these problems. The situ

ation was compounded by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which resulted in further disruption to interna tional shipping.

As a result there has been growing recognition of the need for a national supply chain plan, and the return of New Zealand coastal shipping. Further debate is now taking place around the need for a national ports strategy to work in with coastal shipping.

These changes have led to the current remarkable turnaround of the shipping industry, and a great future for New Zealand seafarers.

The Maersk Nansha

Credit: Byron Cummings

Off switch pressed on Ports of Auckland automation

The Maritime Union says its longstanding opposition to automation at the Ports of Auckland has been vindicated after the project was canned.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says the deci sion announced in June 2022 by Ports of Auckland to cancel its automation project was the right call.

Mr Harrison says a full report into how poor decisions were made by previous management was now required.

He says the automation project had been unusual and high risk for a port of Auckland’s size, and should never have been approved at the governance level.

The project suffered ongoing delays, technical issues and cost over-runs, and had contributed to the serious congestion issues at the Ports in the last two years. There were a series of malfunctions as the automation project dragged on years over schedule.

Industry figures suggested that one of the issues with the high cost, high risk project was the scale of the Ports. Most automated ports around the world are far larger than Auckland.

The hybrid automated/manual nature of the straddles at POAL meant that an exper imental zone for the automated units was set up in a congested working port already under major space constraints.

The automated straddles operated in the container yard but manual straddles contin ued to service the shipside vessel cranes.

Mr Harrison says the automation project is another negative outcome from the reign of former CEO Tony Gibson, who departed suddenly last year.

POAL and Mr Gibson are facing health and safety charges laid by Maritime New Zealand following the 2020 death of port worker Pala’amo Kalati.

Mr Harrison says the new Board and new CEO at POAL have shown a new positive attitude to engaging with the Union, which has led to an improving culture.

“Our focus now is on ensuring a produc tive, skilled, safe union workforce is allowed to get on with their job.”

Mr Harrison says the Maritime Union wants to see worker representation on the Board to ensure the future success of the Ports.

“Worker representation at board level would provide the real world expertise of workers in many areas such as health and safety, and is standard practice in many successful European economies.”

The news that the project had been dumped sent shockwaves around the busi ness and political establishment. There have been a range of figures suggested for the cost of the failed automation project.

Auckland City councillor Chris Darby says the failed project probably cost close to half a billion dollars once delays, disrup tion and lost customers and ships were taken into account. It’s a ballpark figure that other industry sources have agreed with.

The Port Company says the loss is around $65 million, but this does not take into account expected costs such as the retrofit ting of the automated Kone straddle carriers for manual operation.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has called for an independent review to determine who was culpable for the port’s former board’s decision to fund the project.

He told media he was concerned that the former chief executive and board did not do sufficient due diligence to determine how risks would be managed before committing to significant capital expenditure.

Ports of Auckland board chairperson Jan Dawson says the decision to scrap the auto mation project was done in the best inter ests of the company, its stakeholders, and the New Zealand supply chain.

Maritime Union of New Zealand Auckland branch secretary Russell Mayn told media many Auckland port work ers were concerned the automation system would cause a serious accident.

“Given the number of incidents and issues with the automated machines, the decision to end the programme removes the chance of a serious accident.”

The automation project was the centrepiece of the ill-fated decade-long reign of former CEO Tony Gibson, who led persistent attacks on the unionized workforce.

There had been four deaths at the Ports of Auckland since 2017, three involving POAL staff during the tenure of Mr Gibson.

In August 2021, Mr Gibson was charged over the death of Pala’amo (Amo) Kalati on 30 August 2020.

In the last three months of 2021 there was 12 lost-time injuries at the port – inju ries that led to time off work.

The Maritime Union has continu ally drawn attention to the links between productivity ‘bonuses’ under the previous management at POAL and the potential for health and safety risks when speed is priori tized over safety.

ITF: you have got to listen to the workers

The world’s largest global transport union, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), has joined the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) in supporting the decision by the Ports of Auckland to abandon its costly automation programme.

ITF President, and Chair of the ITF Dockers’ Section, Paddy Crumlin welcomed the announcement by the Ports of Auckland in June to cease the automation project at the Fergusson Container Terminal.

“I want to reiterate the words of Ports of Auckland CEO Roger Gray ‘This is a posi tive decision which will come as a relief to many at Ports of Auckland and in the wider supply chain’,” said Crumlin.

“The brutal reality here for Ports of Auckland, and its sole shareholder and owner, Auckland Council, is that this deci sion and the write-off of $65 million, would never have happened if management valued the knowledge and expertise that its work force brings to decisions about lifting port capacity, productivity and profitability.”

“The major lesson here – which I doubt is to be found in management’s review of the fiasco, or within the advice from ‘inde pendent’ experts – is that you’ve got to listen to your workers. When the people who do the heavy lifting at a place like the Ports of Auckland say ‘this project is not fit for purpose’, ‘the technology is not ready’, and they even tell you ‘the technology is danger ous, we are worried for our our lives’: you have got to listen to your workers,” says Crumlin.

“Coming out of this I would expect Auckland Council to show they have learned their lesson in this regard, and therefore their first act should be to put a worker on the Ports of Auckland Board. What more vindi cation do we need that the people who know this port better than anybody else must not only be consulted, but their collective views should be represented and valued at the deci sion-making table,” says Crumlin.

“Ports of Auckland learnt the hard way

the cost of ignoring your workforce, other port operators should take note not to make the same mistake,” he said.

Delays and safety concerns

When the Ports of Auckland first announced its automation plans in 2015, it was fresh off the back of a drawn out dispute with union ised waterfront workers. Management said that in the initial phase of the project, some 50–70 of the port’s 320 stevedores would be replaced by automated carriers, with more to follow by project’s planned completion date in 2019.

By then, the port claimed, automation would have boosted its container handling capacity by just over 900,000 TEU per year, to around 1.6 million TEU.

But seven years later, the project was still not complete. Instead, it was marred by delays, safety concerns, and harmed the port’s productivity.

In November 2020 one of the new auto mated straddle carriers lost control and slammed into a stack of others. In June 2021, another went ‘rogue’ due to a software issue and hit a container. The port company temporarily suspended use of the machines pending a safety review. Software glitches are said to have regularly taken the carriers offline.

Each carrier weighs 70 tonnes unloaded, and over 100 tonnes total when carrying a full container box. They move across the wharf at over 22 kilometres per hour - a force of weight easily capable of killing a person.

The port’s beleaguered project has proven to be a drag on Auckland’s overall through put of cargo (as measured in box rates per hour) at a time of record high demand to shift containers amidst a strong consumer recovery in rich countries like New Zealand. Anti-union agenda

MUNZ National Secretary Craig Harrison thanked the ITF and international solidar ity of dockers’ unions globally that he said was pivotal in influencing the Board to cease automation in the terminal.

“As soon as management said what their plans were, we reached out to Paddy Crumlin and the ITF’s Dockers’ Section. Within weeks Paddy had brought out a dele gation from their automation taskforce to meet with the government and the big play ers,” said Harrison.

“Every single thing they said would

“THE AGENDA WAS NOT TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY BUT TO REMOVE ORGANISED LABOUR FROM THE WATERFRONT”

happen, did happen. We warned them that there wouldn’t be higher productivity. We were right. We said that there’s going to be higher costs for importers and exporters. We were right.”

“Management ignored these facts. It was clear to us at the time that their agenda was not to improve productivity, but to remove organised labour from the waterfront,” said Harrison.

Over the course of the project, the union ran a community campaign demonstrating to the New Zealand public, and particularly to Auckland Council and business sector, that rising costs were a direct result of disrup tions caused by the automation drive.

“We had a situation where importers and exporters were getting charged more for either delayed shipment or boxes sitting idle on the wharves because software glitches in the automated gear and other delays were

slowing down movements in the port,” said Harrison.

“Maersk Line even introduced a $400 NZD surcharge for customers wishing to use the port, as the company tried to recover the cost of their ships sitting idle due to the congestion.”

“It took the port seven years to realise this project was never fit for purpose. The sad thing is that ratepayers of Auckland wouldn’t have lost tens of millions of dollars if they’d listened to us, and the ITF. Our commu nity could have built a new library with that money, a park for the kids, or fixed the trains,” concluded Harrison.

Credit: ITF Australia

Paddy Crumlin ITF President, Dockers’ Section Chair and National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia

‘NO LAST BANTER, NO GOODBYES, NO LAST HUGS’

The death of Don Grant at Lyttelton Port on Anzac Day was another tragedy in a work place sector blighted by deaths, serious injuries and hair-raising near-misses. But there are rising hopes that a safety drive on the waterfronts will get results, writes Amanda Cropp.

When a 65kg weight from a digger shackle landed on her left foot, port worker Annie was lucky not to lose her toes, but the accident ended her stevedoring career.

The financial hit meant she nearly lost her home, tendon damage forced her to sell the prized Ducati road bike she could no longer ride, and three years on she still uses painkilling patches on the injury that limits her to wearing sneakers.

The solo parent, who used a pseud onym because of a non-disclosure agree ment arising from mediation with her former employer, experienced two other terrifying near-misses and says recent action on safety is long overdue.

“Mum would say, ‘why are you doing this, you're going to kill yourself?’ but I loved the job . . . I kept going back because I wanted to be a crane driver, I stuck at it, then I had my accident and everything turned to s....”

In April, Don Grant died loading coal at Lyttelton Port on Anzac Day, less than a week after 26-year-old Atiroa Tuaiti died falling off a container at Ports of Auckland, and the two deaths in rapid

succession prompted WorkSafe Minister Michael Wood to order a Transport Accident Investigation Commission inquiry into the fatalities.

Maritime NZ is conducting its own investigation into the deaths, at least one of which is understood to have been captured on port CCTV cameras.

The agency responsible for the safety, security and environmental protection of New Zealand's coastal and inland water ways received a $4.3 million funding boost in the Budget to increase its safety work.

In recent months, together with WorkSafe, it has done 50 assessments of 24 port businesses – observing on wharves, talking to unions, managers and frontline staff, and gathering feedback at meetings where workers could speak freely without management present.

Data on accidents, incidents and nearmisses over the past few years will be analysed to try to identify the causes of fatalities and serious injuries.

A port health and safety leadership group, made up of the two regulators, unions, and representatives from port and stevedoring companies, will report back to Wood by October on key ways to improve safety, including the potential introduction of national port operating standards.

Each year ACC receives about 300 new work-related claims for injuries at commercial ports, and over the past five

“... IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO RUN THESE SORTS OF ROSTERS, BUT IT SHOULD BE”

years, injuries requiring more than a week away from work had an estimated lifetime cost of $21.6m.

Since 2018 six workers have died on the job at port facilities, and in 2017 an Auckland pilot boat accidentally hit and killed an ocean swimmer.

Otago University's injury prevention research unit came up with some sobering results using Ministry of Health data and coroners' files covering a 20-year period from 1995 to 2014.

Their study identified 59 worker deaths that occurred in ports and harbours, or during port-related activities.

Senior research fellow Rebecca Lilley says defining port fatalities has historically been “a bit of a minefield” because of grey areas around what is classed as a port-re lated death.

However, almost half the fatalities they found occurred on ships or wharfs, and a quarter (15) were fishermen.

Eighteen victims were hit by a moving object, such as a forklift or cargo, 16 drowned and 14 died from slips, trips and falls.

Six victims were off-duty, some of them crew members who fell into the water after a night out, and in 20 cases impairment from drugs, alcohol, fatigue and health conditions contributed to deaths.

"There's also been a failure of commu nications in a lot of these incidents, and the condition of equipment is quite important, whether or not they're wear ing PPE."

Weather and fumes in ship holds were among the environmental factors impli cated in 13 deaths.

There are plans to update the research, but the pace of coroners' hearings means it will take some time.

In recent years Auckland and Lyttelton ports have both conducted major reviews over safety failures that led to them being prosecuted multiple times and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Given the continuing toll, safety is a hot issue for the three unions that

between them represent thousands of port workers from stevedores to crane, straddle and forklift drivers.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says workplace deaths rob families of loved ones and decades of earnings, with insuf ficient reparation ordered when cases go to court.

Witnesses to accidents are deeply affected too, and he describes the trauma suffered by a young man who was nearby when Auckland workmate Pala'amo Kalati was crushed by a container in 2020.

“He's never been back to the waterfront. He's trau matised; even when he sees containers on trucks he gets nervous.”

In the construction industry it is accepted practice on large projects for the main contractor to insist all subcontractors abide by a common set of safety rules, but in ports a similar undertaking would cover a huge number of individual employers.

Lyttelton Port, for example, has 60 lead businesses operating on-site, and if every trucking company, contractor and service provider was included, the number would be in the hundreds.

As a rule of thumb, work incidents on ships are investigated by Maritime NZ, with WorkSafe handling those on land, but Harrison says there is growing support for Maritime to do the lot because it has the requisite knowledge.

He is impressed by the new crop of chief executives – Maritime NZ's Kirstie Hewlett, Ports of Auckland's Roger Gray, and Kirstie Gardener at Lyttelton – and appreciates their willingness to engage with the workforce and unions.

But he does not underestimate the task ahead, and believes competition between ports has helped put safety standards back to where they were in the early 1990s because of the focus on productivity.

Lyttelton watersider Don Grant

A drop in training exercises, such as evac uations from ship holds, is a case in point.

Earlier this year stevedoring company ISO was taken to task by Maritime NZ over its lack of evacuation procedures when six workers were overcome by fumes from the hold of a log ship in Napier in 2018. A digger operator lost conscious ness, and others who tried to rescue him also succumbed.

Charges were dismissed, and Harrison is disappointed Maritime NZ, on advice from the Crown Law Office, decided not to appeal the court decision.

He refers to an accident at Tauranga in April (currently under investigation by authorities), where it took Fire and Emergency several hours to extract an ISO stevedore who suffered broken legs after falling from giant rolls of paper in a ship's hold.

ISO, New Zealand's largest stevedore employer, is owned by Australia logistics company Qube, and in a written state ment says it is working on a number of initiatives with Maritime NZ, “so unfor tunately we can't comment”.

Other major stevedoring companies C3, Wallace Investments, Independent Stevedoring Ltd, and SSA New Zealand either refused to comment or did not respond to questions about safety and work practices.

The Port Industry Association, previ ously the NZ Stevedoring Employers Association, also declined to comment.

Interviews with Rail and Maritime Transport Union members in prepara tion for a recent health and safety work shop with Maritime NZ produced a list of 20 separate issues ranging from poor communications and traffic management, to breaches of exclusion zones under suspended loads.

Union health and safety organiser Karen Fletcher says differing training standards for straddle and crane drivers are a problem too.

“Members feel people are signed off as competent before they really are because of pressure to get them out working.”

Fatigue is being exacerbated by labour shortages.

Some stevedores are required to work eight hours on eight hours off, and compulsory minimum rest periods are essential because some employers expect workers back on the job after as little as five hours' sleep.

“It's an accident waiting to happen . . . it's not illegal to run these sorts of rosters, but it should be,” Fletcher says.

Ports of Auckland has already decided to cut its shifts from 12 hours to eight hours, but the move will apply only to port company employees, not to steve dores working for Wallace Investments or C3.

Gray says the move is proving tricky, not least because of the potential impact on worker pay packets, and he estimates it will take 12 to 18 months to implement.

Fatigue management guidelines from the port leadership group are also due out soon, and unions say change is needed to attract and retain workers in an increas ingly tight labour market.

Stevedoring company C3 is advertis ing on a website for over-50s jobseekers offering a starting rate of $22.50 an hour for 12-hour shifts loading logs, unloading general cargo and driving cars off vessels.

Harrison says that does not wash these days. “People can go and earn more money at Bunnings stacking paint, and the stevedoring industry has been slow to react.”

A New Zealand straddle driver earning $80,000 in Auckland can get A$140,000 (NZ$154,700) by shifting to Sydney, and “they're all starting to pack their bags and go”.

Harrison challenges cargo owners, such as kiwifruit, log and dairy exporters, to take some responsibility for demand ing freight be moved as quickly as possible at the lowest possible price, because that pressure can lead to corners being cut.

Chairman of the Cargo Owners Council Simon Beale says they have no control over charges set by ports and ship ping companies, and they have raised the need to bring in more skilled migrant workers with the Minister of Transport.

Forest Owners Association president Grant Dodson says while it is true that

“YOU GO TO WORK TO LIVE, YOU DON’T GO TO WORK TO DIE.”

there is a financial incentive to load log vessels efficiently, this is not done at the expense of safety.

Grapple machines and shore cranes are increasingly replacing the need for wharf hands to sling wire ropes around logs lifted by ships’ cranes, thus elimi nating the need for people to work near suspended loads.

More than 70 incidents involv ing commercial operators in ports and harbours were reported to Maritime NZ last year, and Harrison suggests they represented “less than half of what really goes on”.

The list contains some hair-raising mishaps.

A 25-tonne load that fell up to five metres after a crane malfunctioned was one of more than a dozen cases of cargo and equipment dropped into the sea, ships' holds, or onto the wharf.

Three out of four cranes on one vessel were “condemned”, and damaged bolts on another resulted in a section of deck ing collapsing into the hold, missing stevedores working there.

None of that surprises Annie. “You looked at these cranes shaking and shud dering because they were under so much pressure, you put your hand up and say, ‘this is wrong’, and they say, ‘it's fine just keep going because the job has to be done’.

“You can go on boats where the rust is crumbling under your feet, and they paint over it, so they can keep getting away with it.”

Hewlett says of 250 ships Maritime NZ inspected last year, 60% were found to have deficiencies, mostly engine fail ures and problems with pilot ladders and lifting gear, but only two vessels were actually detained until repairs were completed.

Maritime inspections fell during Covid-19 because health measures made it difficult to board vessels, but the agency is setting up a 10-person inspection team dedicated to checking foreign and domes tically flagged vessels, a move applauded by both unions and port operators.

The aim is to prevent accidents like the one in 2017 where a handrail collapse on board the log carrier Pakhoi in 2017 resulted in an ISO worker falling 8m from a pile of logs, sustaining serious inju ries that required 56 days in hospital and multiple surgeries.

ISO agreed to a $425,000 enforce able undertaking to avoid prosecution, and committed to developing a national online portal for stevedores to report problems on vessels.

The portal is up and running, but Harrison describes it as a "sham" which is poorly understood and little-used by the industry.

In June, Ports of Auckland instituted 15 safety rules all port users must abide by, including an undertaking to immedi ately report all hazards and incidents.

Together with unions and stevedor ing companies, port management is also working on a code of practice, similar to one already used in Australia, covering all aspects of port operations, and Gray says it could be adopted nationally.

Fletcher says while there's a hell of a long way to go, for the first time in a decade she is beginning to feel more confident real progress is being made on the safety front.

The grieving family of Lyttelton worker Don Grant, who died buried in a heap of coal, hope that confidence is well-placed.

In a written statement prepared for the Sunday Star- Times, they say their “rock” Don was “gone in a flash, with no last banter, no goodbyes, and no last hugs or kisses”.

The drawn-out inquiry into his death is emotionally gruelling, and their wish is that it provides answers to help protect other port workers in future.

“All workers need to know that they are safe and will be coming home from work to their loved ones.

“You go to work to live, you don't go to work to die.”

This article is republished with permis sion of the author and Stuff.co.nz

CARL FINDLAY NATIONAL PRESIDENT

International Solidarity and the POAL dispute

I have worked on the waterfront for the last 20 years and been a member of the Maritime Union from day one. There has always been a small number of the membership that are prepared to have a moan about certain union policies and overseas travel for union business has always been a hot topic. If a plane flew overhead a member would always joke “there goes the National Secretary and President off on another union funded junket!”

All financial members are entitled to their opinions, but my view this could not be further from the truth.

We don’t have to look very far back in our own maritime history to see what inter national solidarity has helped us achieve, improve and sometimes just maintain the status quo. The relationships and bonds we have with our brothers and sisters around the world was not built on Tik Tok or Facebook, these relationships were built on face-to-face gatherings and engaging with likeminded human beings at conferences and union business meetings.

The 2008 Port of Napier and 2012 Port of Auckland disputes are classic examples of what can be achieve when the work ing class across the globe collaborate and support a work force trying to achieve a common goal. During these troubled times and especially during the Ports of Auckland

dispute our international comrades from the International Transport Federation (ITF), International Longshore Warehouse Union (ILWU), Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and others stood shoulder to shoulder with the Maritime Union of New Zealand Local 13. This was not just finan cially and physically but they also represented our views at international meet ings with employers and company owners in places like Singapore, Rotterdam and London. ITF President Paddy Crumlin was instru mental in arranging highlevel meetings in Singapore and Rotterdam.

“Big Bob” McEllrath (now retired) from the ILWU asked all the Presidents from the USA West Coast locals to leave the United States to fly to New Zealand and support MUNZ on the pickets. Ray Familathe (the then ILWU VP) led the US delegation on the ground and it’s my under standingis this was the first time in their history that all ILWU Local Presidents had left the States at the same time to support MUNZ. This is a remarkable sign of solidar ity and respect for our union.

Our close cousins across the ditch from the MUA, led by now retired officials Mick Doleman and Joe Deakin also went above and beyond with a large delegation of officials and rank and file members who turned up on our shores in support. Also our comrades from the ETU lead by Peter Simpson (RIP) and National Secretary Allen Hicks who

were that keen even after we started back to work, they kept sending delegations.

On Saturday 10 March 2012 approxi mately 7000 working class people attended

courage required to see the dispute through to the end. Many other internationals need to be thanked for their contributions and support including the mighty FNV Dutch Dockers, RMT (Rail Maritime Transport UK), and ILA (International Longshoremen Association.)

Looking back, it was a remarkable feat to pull this physical symbol of international and local solidarity together in a short space of time. From these disputes, the solidarity still lives on and is flourishing today.

You just need to look at the sister port relationships between our Wellington branch MUNZ and Western Australia branch MUA, and Auckland Local 13 MUNZ and the Sydney branch MUA. Through sports and other events our solidarity grows and engages the younger generations into what unions and solidarity are all about. Touch football, tag footy and thousands of dollars raised in War on the Wharves charity boxing events are all part of ongoing international support and solidarity.

our protest march to support our fight against Ports of Auckland anti-family and anti-union agenda. Our international guests were front and center at our protest march that started at the bottom of Queen Street moving along Quay Street to the Auckland container terminal entrance. A Ports of Auckland spokesperson is reported as saying that the wharfies were having a stroll with ‘rent a crowd’.

Who would have believed that thou sands of people would turn up for a protest march supporting wharfies? At the time this was truly inspirational stuff and laid the strong foundation of determination and

In 2022 the bonds are stronger than ever with another War on the Wharves Charity boxing event planned in Sydney as part of the Maritime Union of Australia 150 year anniversary celebrations and MUNZ will be there. In 2023 the War on the Wharves char ity fight night is planned for Hawaii where we will be taking a combined team from the Maritime Union of New Zealand and Australia (MUNZA) to Hawaii as an exhi bition of how our international solidarity has grown and in support for our Hawaiian brothers and sisters.

It doesn’t always need to be about a fight, but if the employer wants a fight, then they better understand international solidarity will never go away. That is one big reason the Maritime Union Local 13 remain unbroken. Thank you all.

Report into Napier ship fire released

An investigation in a shipboard fire in the Port of Napier has found confusion about the role of the ship’s master and fire crew hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze.

During the morning of 18 December 2020 in the Port of Napier, cargo discharge operations were underway on board the Singapore-flagged Kota Bahagia at Wharf 4. Four people working in a cargo hold discovered a rapidly evolving fire and evacuated immediately.

With the local fire service in attendance, the fire was suppressed using the on-board carbon dioxide fire-suppres sion system. The fire was officially declared as extinguished on 24 December 2020. There were no fatalities or inju ries, but there was extensive damage to the cargo hold and cargo in the hold. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released its report on the fire in August 2022. At the time of the incident, the Kota Bahagia was operated by Pacific International Lines (PIL), a privately owned, Singapore-based shipping company.

The fire started due to hot work taking place in a cargo hold. Two shore-based fitters had been working in the hold to remove steel brackets holding wind turbine components in place. Molten material, ejected during gas-cutting activities, very likely ignited dry sawdust nearby, and the fire spread to the cargo. Stevedores returning to work on the vessel and the fitters noticed worsening smoke in the cargo hold. The workers had to pass close by the developing fire as they left the hold.

The crane driver gave the alarm on radio before leaving the crane. All shore based workers went down the mustering

point on the wharf. The ship’s crew had sounded the fire alarm and started to follow their Fire Response plan, but following the arrival of fire crews there was some confusion.

Crew were ordered off the vessel by the senior fire officer.

The report found that fire fighters failed to initially give due regard to the master’s command status and knowledge of the ship and its systems. Valuable time was lost as the master attempted to convey their intended tactics to the officer in charge of the unified command team. The hatch cover could not be closed until a crane wire and container spreader had been hoisted out of the cargo hold.

As a consequence there was a delay in the activation of the vessel’s fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing system and the release of carbon dioxide into the cargo hold. The fire was brought under control and normal operations resumed at the Port that afternoon. The fire onboard was officially declared extinguished on Christmas Eve. There were no inju ries but there was serious damage to the cargo hold and the high-value cargo.

Two key findings were made. At the time of the incident the ship’s crew did not implement the requirements set out in PIL’s safety management system and the harbourmaster’s hot-work permit, or ensure the safe execution and supervision of hot work carried out by shore-based contractors on board the vessel. The suppression of the fire was delayed because the various parties involved did not have a shared and consis tent understanding of each other’s roles and objectives

The TAIC investigation found hot-work precautions were not fully implemented by the ship’s crew and the tight stowage of the project cargo hampered the view and access of the person assisting with the gas-cutting operations. Consequently, in some locations there was no way to control effectively the dispersal of molten material ejected during the gas-cutting.

The report recommended that risk assessments and job safety analyses for hot work must give consideration to any constraints in the area where the hot work is to be carried out. The risk assessment should be applied systematically with monitoring to ensure the control measures are appro priate and effective.

A shipboard fire response is based on the vessel’s design, fire protection systems and crew numbers. During a co-or dinated incident response involving ship fires in a New Zealand port, the ship’s master might not be the incident controller. However, TAIC noted the master retains the over riding authority to make, and the responsibility for making, decisions regarding the safety and security of the vessel. The master is responsible for the safety of life on board, the care of the cargo and protecting the marine environment from ship-borne pollution. Fire and emergency responders need to

take this into account as part of their responses to ship fires.

It was noted that similar recommendations had been made following a similar incident in Tauranga in 2018, but these reviews had not been completed in 2020 when the Kota Bahagia fire occurred. Work on updating FENZ proce dures around ships fires has since then been carried out, but a revised training regime was not yet in place. TAIC has asked this be done urgently. TAIC also recommended that PIL take further steps to ensure that the safety precautions are imple mented effectively on board their vessels.

The principal purpose of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is to determine the circumstances and causes of [selected aviation, marine, and rail] accidents and incidents with a view to avoiding similar occurrences in the future, rather than to ascribe blame to any person.

Supporting locked out Essity Pulp and Paper workers in Kawerau, from left, MUNZ Auckland Branch Secretary Russell Mayn, Pulp and Paper Workers Union Secretary Tane Phillips, delegate Simon Goddard, and MUNZ National Secretary Craig Harrison. Mr Harrison says maritime workers and other unions are contrib uting financially to the 145 locked out workers and would ramp up support if the employer continued to try and starve the workers into submission.

Credit: Grant Williams

Youth Report

It has been awhile since the last national council meeting and we were all together. Unfortunately we have seen another two deaths on the waterfront. Atiroa Tuaiti in Auckland and Don Grant from our Lyttelton branch. We have now experienced the same grief as Auckland yet again.

As youth rep it has been hard to network due to the lack of travel during COVID. I’ve really relied on our previous CTU courses, youth and womens conferences in order to meet other members. Its important our youth can contact us no matter where they may be.

In August I’ll be travelling to Melbourne with several other young members from around the country. Meeting some of comrades across the ditch will be exciting given this National Council meeting we were lucky enough to meet Paul Keating from the MUA. I was impressed by how staunch the MUA are on the waterfront over there and his passion really put the fire back in my belly. They’ve had to be staunch as they have been in negotiations for 3 years! It is sad to see the effort it takes our comrades just to get Job security and basic rights. This year will be the 150th year of the MUA fighting for social justice and maritime workers. This will be celebrated in October.

This MUA Youth Conference will be my first trip over seas since being in this role due to COVID. There is also a WIMDOI (Women in Male Dominated Industries) Conference coming up so it would be cool to get women members over to that in Australia.

I have also been approached by the youth rep and Co-chair at the ITF Dockers section in Canada to see if Matt Hayward (Port Chalmers Youth rep) and I would like to be the Asia Pacific Youth representatives. This will be an exciting oppor tunity, so of course I put my hand up for that and accepted the offer.

The ITF is the International Transport Workers Federation that represents around 350,000 port workers worldwide (as well as many other transport workers). This will be a great way to hear about what’s going on around the world and definitely puts our local issues into perspective. During National Council we also passed a resolution to become an affiliate of the IDC (International Dockworkers Council) It’s bloody important we show our support for the those who are fighting the same battle in the same industries. The IDC has shown their support previously in the conflict that MUA comrades were facing in Fremantle, Australia against the company Qube. This fight was once again about job security and basic rights.

We finally had our National Council meeting on 12–13 July following more COVID delays. This was a produc tive council meeting, and I was blown away by a lot of the positives that came out of our other branch reports. Russell Mayn spoke on the now cancelled automation in Auckland which has made headlines around the world and also means more jobs on the waterfront. Fantastic win for our Auckland comrades!

At the Lyttelton Port Company we are still going through High Performance High Engagement which is the manage ment take on industrial peace on the waterfront. We are yet to see any big wins for our membership, so I remain skeptical for the time being. Fatigue management is about to kick off again. This will be very interesting once we see an outcome from the Investigation into port safety following more deaths in our industry.

GREG PRIMROSE

Napier

The last three months have been a hectic time for members of the Napier branch. COVID has impacted on our members hard with many having had the virus or been affected by a family member having it. Also the flu and other viruses have hit members hard with some saying the effects are worse than the COVID virus.

Container traffic has been variable with Port requirements changing hourly meaning our members are never quite sure what the next day will bring. This has been magnified by the opening of the new number 6 wharf in Napier bringing many associated teething problems.

Currently the wharf is having its markings changed to try and improve forklift flow and lid placement. Our members are often frustrated as Port of Napier sees us as a stevedoring partner but does not seek our input to help resolve problems.

The log traffic has been steady but as with containers the shipping changes swiftly leading to cancellations and short shifts.

Craig Harrison and Leanne Jackson made a welcome visit to Napier to meet with C3 members over a claim to vary the contract and cover men employed by C3 subsidiary compa nies. This was held at a motel because of a cancellation mean ing space was at a premium.

SSA members have commenced talks to lock in a new agreement that will hopefully address the lag in pay rates to cost of living in the 5 years since the last agreement was signed.

Maritime Union affiliates to International Dockworkers Council (IDC)

New Zealand’s maritime workers have affiliated to a global organization of dockworkers.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand voted at its July 2022 National Council meeting to affiliate to the International Dockworkers Council.

The National Council was addressed by IDC Asia–Oceania representative Paul Keating, who is the Secretary of the Sydney Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says the affiliation is a natural progression for the Union.

“Dockers and waterfront workers have very close international bonds as a result of us all being part of the first globalized indus try, maritime transport.”

He says common issues faced by dock workers throughout the world included

automation, technological changes, hostile anti-worker laws, health and safety, privat ization, and GNTs (global network terminal operators.)

Mr Harrison says building international unity amongst workers was a priority for the IDC.

The MUNZ affiliation to the IDC is complementary to the affiliation of the Maritime Union to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF.)

The IDC (International Dockworkers Council) was formed in 2000 following the struggle of the Liverpool Dockers in the 1990s. In 2022, the IDC has over 140,000 dockworkers and port workers in its ranks globally.

The IDC is an association formed by organizations of dockworkers from all over the world. It is defined by its basic principles as being a united, independent, democratic, assembly-based working-class organization.

The IDC objectives are to support member unions in winning and maintain ing appropriate labor standards and working conditions in the sector for all port workers worldwide, to create a network of interna tional solidarity in defense of the profession and to actively participate as an international movement of workers standing up to the economic globalization of businesses in the sector.

Globally, the IDC is the only international organization that coordinates and directly brings together dockworkers’ unions. https://www.idcdockworkers.org/

From left: MUNZ National Vice President Josh Greer, MUNZ Assistant National Secretary Ray Fife, IDC Asia–Oceania Representative Paul Keating of the MUA, MUNZ National Secretary Craig Harrison, and MUNZ National President Carl Findlay, at the MUNZ National Council July 2022.

GARY HORAN

Lyttelton

Death at LPC

Lyttelton tragically has added to the status of the maritime industry as some of the most dangerous workplaces in the country. Lyttelton branch member Don Grant was killed on Anzac Day while performing the role of hatchman on a coal vessel in Lyttelton.

Historically this role has had few serious incidents over the years. It highlights that even the safest roles can be dangerous and we can never become complacent.

While we don’t know the results of the investigation yet, some general observations attending the scene of the accident were that serious issues were visible.

This was a very large ship, and even when loading was nearing completion, the ship was still high out of the water.

This would have had an impact of the vision between the hatchman and coal loader operator.

The coal loading operation machinery has been there for years and the question is whether it is still suitable for the facility.

Regardless, we must remain vigilant in performing any role on the waterfront or at sea.

Member illness

I had a phone call recently from a member who has a terminal illness and has not long to live. He has been off sick at LPC since November and they have paid him out the $50 000 payout they do for any employee who dies or is dying.

LPC have been trying to end his employ ment off their roster because they have no more financial obligation to him but if they do he loses his death benefit from the super. This was causing him unwanted stress at a time when he needs to concentrate on other things.

Craig has assured me the Maritime Retirement Scheme (super fund) is going to tidy this up. A member with a terminal illness should be contacted by the fund and assured their entitlement is being honoured.

It is hard having these discussions with members who are in this situation, and even though we are assuring them verbally a letter is much better at easing any anxiety. Lyttelton Port Company

LPC are continuing to employ more people in all areas and our recruitment team of Gerard, Shanaya, Jake and Steve are doing a great job in growing our membership.

Gerard and I were approached by LPC Board Chair Margaret Devlin if we would be interviewed by the recruitment company who are handling the replacement of Roger Gray as CEO.

This is the first time I know where a Union has been asked for their input on such a senior role.

The High Performance/High Engagement meetings are rolling along and we are at this stage taking it as it comes. We are hanging in on this if we can see some positive results for our members, and if we don’t then we will pull the pin.

At a meeting recently we did a presenta tion on the role and history of our Union. Taking questions from some of the manage ment team at the end they were obviously surprised of how much we do as a Union and the alliances we have here in New Zealand and around the world.

Maritime Union of New Zealand Lyttelton Branch Midwinter Party 2022, The Loons Club, Lyttelton

RoadKill (aka Mike Searle) has resigned as our branch Vice President and as a member of the union to take up the role of health and safety officer at inland ports for LPC. Steve Thompson has resumed the role of Vice President until our election in November.

We wish Mike well in his new career and thank him for his dedicated service to the union over the years.

C3

We have lost all our permanents at C3 as they both retired and there are no perms there now only casuals. They are only doing cars, most of their staff are retirees and have no interest in joining the union. We only have about 8 casuals there now.

SSA

SSA are recruiting as well and are quite busy. They have a new manager. We are having some interpretation problems with the collective as we do with most Collectives, and we need to have strong and clear wording.

It’s hard trying to get our members to understand this company has some serious issues retaining contracts against ISO and ISL when the company is constantly making changes without real consultation.

The Collective Agreement expires here in October and we will be bargaining towards August.

The Tunnel Control CA has just expired and we are in bargaining now.

After one round its clear that the aim of clawing back some wage increases to off set inflation is not going to be easy.

Seafarers

At our last report we had been lauding Holcim for offering a trainee role to a young local the grandson of an ex seafarer.

The company have reneged on this offer and apparently told the young man they wanted the union to contribute half his wages. I have had no correspondence with the company about this and I’m sure Jimmy hasn’t either, so I will follow up when I am back at work after my knee operation.

Ex seafarer Mike Will has joined LPC as a cargo handler. It’s good to still have Mike in the union as he has been a great seafarer rep on the executive for many years.

The announcement of the new coastal shipping services is a great achievement and the branch wants to thank Craig, Russell and Jimmy for the great work they did in secur ing this.

Branch news

We had our midwinter function at the Loons recently and it was a great night had by all. I was a bit dusty the next morning.

The branch would like to thank Ray Fife, Josh Greer and Fiona Mansell for attending from Bluff, Port Chalmers and Wellington.

The recent rain here caused a bit of damage to our property in Akaroa. The creek flooded and was washing right across the section causing damage to the drive and the wind felled a tree that hit a neighbour ing house.

We have a great executive in the village and they all contribute to the running of the office. My contract runs out in two years’ time and I will be 67 then so will probably not stand again. We will have to look for a replacement for me, and at present the role is only 24 hours which makes it hard to attract a current member into the role. This is some thing we have to consider going forward.

HITTING THE TARGET

In July 2022 I attended the Australian Skeet National Championships in Wagga Wagga. It was a fantastic competition, by far the largest I have attended. With over 140 competitors who qualified to compete, including all the Australian state teams, the New Zealand team and a few internationals to keep it interesting.

I managed to attain a bronze medal, finishing 3rd A grade in the major 12 gauge event. Also finishing with a silver medal, 2nd in the champion of champions event,

which is an overall combination of scores from all events shot; including the 12, 20, 28 and 410 gauge’s.

I’d like to thank The Maritime Union of New Zealand (in particular Port Chalmers Branch Local 10), Port Otago and all my fellow workmates who wished me well in the competition.

Thanks again for your generous financial support and all the well wishes. – Mike Ashton, Port Chalmers Branch

SELWYN RUSSELL

Mount Maunganui – Tauranga

Firstly I wish to give my apologies for only being mainly available from home, as I am awaiting an hip operation. It’s extremely painful walking and going up and down stairs are not advised by the doctor. I have been able to attend local disciplinaries and bargaining meetings.

Sulphur Point

I am pleased to state that I have signed 8 members from Sulphur Point shore cranes with C3 and have a meeting with them and the bosses soon.

C3 Stevedores

Plenty of work here, we have initiated bargaining and currently about to select dates for bargaining.

SSA

Getting more members here as the workload increasing with new contracts and supporting C3 and ISL when short, contract was ratified and accepted.

Container Co

This has been a drawn-out bargaining what with sickness to all. We had a terms of settlement that has been ratified by the members this week. And pleased to state they have all unani mously agreed to accept the deal with genuine increases.

Ballance

We have just met last week and was advised of an upturn within their business and confidence is high. We are hoping to get Terms of Settlement to take back to members. We also picked up another 4 members here, and we are hoping for a result here very soon.

So numbers are on the way up with regular numbers increasing, the fact is its becoming a real struggle for compa nies to employ stevedores especially with the hours they do. All employers are complaining but if they increased the wages I don’t think it would be a problem.

Seafarers

It is great to hear of the movement to get coastal shipping back with MUNZ members on ships. Now we need some young members to apply for training. If any MUNZ members or family members would like a career in the Merchant Navy ring me as there is maybe a genuine chance in the future by training up seafarers for the new ships about to come on coast.

To our many individuals please do not hesitate to contact myself for any assistance needed on 0274782308

ContainerCo

JIM KING

Wellington KiwiRail – Interisland Line

As we all know there is a shortage of AB’s and Cooks in the KiwiRail fleet. KR-IIL are actively seeking to appoint new people to these positions.

Some months ago, MUNZ and KR-IIL discussed giving the opportunity to Catering Attendants who wish to be considered for training in the role of a cook. MUNZ embraces this initiative and welcomes the day when this comes to fruition.

Scheduled ship outages

InterIslander has confirmed a number of scheduled ship outages planned through to the end of September.

Works are to undertake maintenance and necessary maritime compliance checks required to run a safe shipping operation.

KR-IIL will continue to provide capac ity at all times by staggering when the ships are scheduled to be out of service in to meet customer demand.

Over the next two months, the Aratere will undergo a “wet dock” followed by the Kaitaki travelling to Sydney for its regu lar drydock servicing, during which time the Valentine would be providing freight capacity.

Repair works to the Kaiarahi, which is currently laid up in Picton, are suppos edly “progressing well. KR-IIL are await ing the arrival of some final parts being specially manufactured in the United States. A resumption of service date will

be announced in the near future.

As we are all too aware the KR-IIL is currently expe riencing high levels of staff sickness due to COVID and the flu.

IIL say they are recruit ing to ensure they have a full staff establishment ahead of the peak freight and passen ger season which typically ramps up from October.

Lashing gangs

There is an increasing momentum coming from the high echelons of Kiwirail–InterIslander to have shorebased lashing gangs working on the KR Ferries.

New Members

Please welcome the following new MUNZ members.

INTERISLANDER: Kevin Lightband, Moiogo Haleti, James Teatao, Kilisi Lemalie, Sophie Forsyth, Malota Tealei, Bernard Pedersen, Daniel Fabro, Teilah Stowers-Tuisano, Mere Tane, ChiehNing Wang, Tiori Rawhiti, Alysha Nawele, Steven Howard, Ana Espenila, Kim Figuracion, Nadia Sziranyi, Mau Teali, Joanne Smith.

STRAIT-SHIPPING NZ: Jack Gerring, Katherine Daly, Tayla-May Mullen, Jennifer Dunlop.

C3 WELLINGTON: Bernard Nepia, Heiko Bains, Joe Apiata, Elisama Lauesi, Carol Stewart, Puti Taukin, O’Sheenly White

CENTERPORT LTD: Tain Tipiwai-Winterburn.

TOTAL: 31 new members, keep up the great work comrades!

Not only have I spoken to KR-on several occasions, but I have also outlined my concerns in writing, and that is there needs to be dialogue ASAP.

These discussions were meant to have been dealt with in the KR-IIL industrial Council forum, but because of KR-IIL’s persistence in wanting to utilise some of the AB crew from the Aratere when their vessel is laid up, to help with lashing of cargo on the other ferries, it has been decided by both parties we need to talk sooner rather than later. At this stage, talks are set down for 23 August.

The MUNZ team is made up of Jim King, Tony Mowbray, Kenny Walsh, Jack Thomason, and Paul Baggott. Seafarers Death Benefit

Discussions took place at the National Council meeting with regards to the pay-outs that Waterside Workers and

their whanau receive if they die on the job. When a seafarer dies on the job, the MRS allocates 15K to the next of kins whanau, this ordinarily pays for funeral costs etc.

When a Watersider dies on the job, the figure is somewhere in the vicinity of 250K, so questions were put to see if there’s anything the trustees could for the seafaring section, such as maybe raising the death benefit entitlement to receive the same figure as Watersiders.

After a bit of discussion, it was our understanding the Watersiders and their employers contribute a portion of their superannuation contributions to a death cover scheme, but unfortunately our seafarers and their employers do not. Hence the discrepancy in the death cover pay-out.

This topic is being discussed at the next MRS Trustee committee meeting to

Atlas: A lot of names were forwarded to Atlas for the Maersk vessels. Hopefully they have taken a few of the names we submitted.

NIWA: First set of wage rounds were held 28 June at NIWA. MUNZ attended the wage rounds by Teams meeting.

Like almost all other companies, NIWA is pleading that there is no money and that have constraints imposed upon them from the State Services Commission (SSC), stating they need to be very mind ful of any pay increases that are negotiated this year. This same request has also been sent out countrywide to all Government departments.

Wellington Database Wellington numbers are high now but will reduce over time due to the picking of the two Maersk vessels.

Wellington Branch Stop Work Meeting Next Stop Work Meeting set down for

Maritime Union National Council meeting, July 2022, Waterside House, Wellington

Union Training

Port Round Up by Fiona Mansell

CPL: With negotiations it has been a bit slow getting a date organised to meet with the company and all three union officials/ delegates. However after a few attempts I have managed to lock in Friday 26 August where we are all free to talk and exchange remits. There have been plenty of disci plinaries with a wide range of issues going on at the port.

C3: There have been plenty of oppor tunities to meet with Masterton and Wellington members which has been a great learning experience for me, especially with the Agreement expiring in a couple of months.

I would like to facilitate union train ing courses for anyone interested. Dates are as follows:

Thursday 22 September

Thursday 29 September

Tuesday 4 October Time 0930–1430

Venue: Conference Room, Level One, MUNZ National Office, Waterside House, 220 Willis Street, Wellington Topics covered include: Union History

The role of the delegate

Dealing with workplace issues Disciplinary processes Communicating Available resources

Lunch and refreshments will be provided for the day. Please contact me on the details below with the date that best suits you: Fiona Mansell

Assistant Branch Secretary Email fiona.mansell@munz.org.nz Mobile 021573244

In August I am head ing up to Tauranga to sit in on their negotiations as an observer. There is plenty of work to be done in this space regarding improving condi tions, pay rates and roster patterns. I still can’t get over how poor their roster system is and how these workers must make themselves avail able 24/7. If that is not bad enough, they often have their shifts cancelled at very short notice or resched uled with little or worse still no compensation for that cancelled shift.

KR-IIL: A lot going on as always, mostly crew complaints about management. On that note, if any one of our members feels the need to lay a formal complaint against any person whom they work with or employed by, they are strongly encour aged to write it up and sign it and send it through to either myself and Jimmy so we are kept informed and of course support you through the process. I have recently had crew sign off on a complaint as a group which I have sent through however the company have come back to me and said that they need specific crew to sign the complaint before they can take it any further. Totally understand that crew do not want to due to repercussions.

Health and Safety or Zero harm processes have been a bit of shambles lately with incorrect information getting passed on. There have been a few inci dences on board recently that have been poorly handled. If any of our workers have an injury at work, please find a ship board delegate immediately to assist you through the process or ring someone at IIL office. One would think the CSMs would be enough to assist, this has not always been the case.

Inductions for new Cabin Attendants, Cooks and Stewards have started and we are coming up to our third with two more to go. It is great to see recruitment slowly happening

RUSSELL MAYN AUCKLAND BRANCH SECRETARY

IS THERE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE FUNNEL?

Given the loss of the two New Zealand crewed Tankers, the announcement that Maersk will be placing the Maersk Nadi and the Maersk Nansha on the New Zealand Coast is indeed welcome news. Both of these vessels will offer a dedicated New Zealand coastal container service, currently Swire’s have the MV Moana Chief operating as a New Zealand flagged vessel dedicated to containers. Swire’s have also just announced the intro duction of a further vessel to supplement the MV Moana Chief. This 1300 TEU vessel is due sometime around September this year. The introduction of this vessel has been made possible with the assistance of the Labour Government.

The Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced on 24 May that $30 million has been committed to coastal shipping through the National Land Transport Programme. The four success ful applicants for this funding were Aotearoa Shipping Alliance, Coastal Bulk Shipping Ltd, Move International Ltd and Swire Shipping NZ Ltd.

I cannot remember the last time new tonnage arrived on our doorstep. Finally

Government, logistics companies and industry players have recognised the bene fits that a vibrant, efficient well-resourced coastal shipping service can offer.

Coastal shipping can and will deliver an environmentally friendly option, we have no other option than to reduce carbon emissions and moving cargo by sea ticks all the boxes.

Not only are there the benefits to the environment but there is the long term sustainable benefits of a reliable, efficient sustainable transport mode that meets the test. No roads to maintain, able to func tion when natural disasters affect us, a future proofed service to move exports and imports across New Zealand.

The challenge for our industry is to make sure that we have fully trained seafarers going forward to man existing and new vessels as current seafarers retire. This is a great opportunity for young Kiwi’s to have an opportunity to forge a future in the Maritime Industry.

We must thank the Labour Party as the first Government in recent times to take positive steps to rejuvenate the shipping industry in New Zealand, in saying that congratulations also need to go to the union for the campaign that has been put in place to bring this to fruition.

For the first time in many years there is light at the end of the funnel. The chal lenge for us is to make good on the prog ress to date, continue to lobby for extra tonnage and protections from unfair competition on the coast, and promote an international Kiwi based service so our exporters are not at the mercy of foreign policies and price gouging.

PORTS OF AUCKLAND IS BACK ON TRACK— LET’S KEEP IT MOVING

CRAIG HARRISON NATIONAL SECRETARY

One of the big issues for Auckland is the future of the Ports. It’s become a hot topic in the local body elections, as it should be. Sadly, the “lost decade” just gone by seriously set the Ports of Auckland back. For many years, the direction was dominated by an aggressive and seemingly unaccountable management culture. Negative outcomes included bad rela tions between management and workers, serious health and safety issues, and the recently cancelled automation project.

Finally, the Ports have turned a corner following a clean out of senior managers and the Board. The new management have chosen to engage with their workforce and relationships have improved as a result. Health and safety is being taken seriously. The automation project was taken out back and put out of its misery. Things are back on track.

None of these past problems means POAL is a liability. It is an essential strategic asset for Auckland and New Zealand. It just needs to be operated properly. The difficult history of Ports of Auckland makes it an easy target for “something must be done” rhetoric but the reality is complex.

There is a push for getting rid of the Ports to free up real estate for developers. There has been a lot of noise about options for relocating or downsizing. Frankly, the majority of working class Aucklanders don’t come into the City for fun. They aren’t going to get much use out of high end retail or expensive waterfront restaurants when they are trying to pay the rent and make it through to the next week. The Ports are too important to be treated as a lifestyle inconvenience for a minority.

The Maritime Union view is Auckland needs a working port. We are entering a period of increased global volatility. Our freight supply chains and our fuel security are under severe pressure and there is no indication this will improve in the short to medium term, or perhaps ever. This is not a good time to be introducing more radical disruptions to our supply chain, which is already disrupted. In the “new normal”, the goal will be security and resilience. “Just in time” is over and the new buzzword is “just in case.”

New Zealand is unusual in its number of ports and their small scale. Part of the problem is our ports have developed into competing small empires and are seen as cash cows for local Government and shareholders, or reserves of real estate. Seeing them as standalone businesses is an error. It has led to wasteful duplication and competition, when co-operation is required.

The role of ports in a complex national and international supply chain sometimes gets forgotten amongst parochial agendas. They must be seen as infrastructure that determines the success or failure of our productive economy, first and foremost.

The future of Ports of Auckland cannot just be left to local Government. We need a national ports strategy that focusses on the rational development and integration of ports into the supply chain. This strategy needs to acknowlege the unique geography of New Zealand, and the fragile nature of land links under stress with ever more intense climate-driven weather events.

Ports of Auckland should be left intact. Moving Ports of Auckland would be a massive exercise with the poten tial for cost blowouts, major environmental issues, technical challenges and disruption. There is no need to increase the footprint of the current port. We will need extra capacity on top of Ports of Auckland. Northport could provide some of this, but the links have to be there. If we have learned anything over the last couple of years, New Zealand needs to build resilience and a level of redundancy into our transport networks. Port of Tauranga will continue to grow, although issues with health and safety and the wellbeing of workers in that Port need to be examined more closely.

There is a lot happening in the wider transport sector and supply chain. After decades of neglect, a modest invest ment by Government has seen an unprecedented renaissance of coastal shipping this year. A number of new services are coming on line and linking New Zealand ports with New Zealand crewed ships. Together with investment in rail links, this will relieve some of the supply chain pressure and stor age issues. These low-emission modes also point the way to a decarbonized future for New Zealand transport.

One initiative supported by the Maritime Union is a worker representative on the POAL Board of Directors. This would provide a safeguard and much needed on the ground experience. It should be a feature with all large companies and is standard practice in successful European economies. Some candidates in the mayoral race have expressed interest in this concept.

Debate will continue, which is a good thing. But we can’t afford to make the wrong calls on Ports of Auckland. Too much is at stake for Auckland, and New Zealand as a whole.

Craig Harrison is the National Secretary, Maritime Union of New Zealand. He worked at Ports of Auckland for 23 years.

Maritime Retirement Scheme

Who we are

The Maritime Retirement Scheme (MRS) is an industry-based scheme providing retirement and other benefits to workers in the waterfront and

seafarer industries throughout New Zealand. MRS provides benefits to members in the event of retirement, death, total and permanent disablement, sickness or injury, redundancy and resignation.

How it works

If you join the Maritime Retirement Scheme, and work for a participating employer, the MRS collects contributions from you and your employer. These are a percentage of your wages and are usually deducted direct from your pay. These contributions are invested into the fund to earn a return (interest).

Over time, combined payments from you and your employer, plus your returns (interest), will grow.

The MRS is an investment fund, not a bank account. This means the returns you get from the MRS will vary over time and so the amount in your account can go up and down. These investments will generally increase in value over time despite short term fluctuations. Due to the type of investment, there are no guarantees regarding returns or performance. Many maritime workers have benefited from the MRS.