It’s great to see the formation of a new group of businesses and the CTU working together to find resolution to the PoAL issues.
The group, which includes Mainfreight Group Managing Director Don Braid, Heart of the City, CEO Alex Swney, CTU President Helen Kelly and Michael Lorimer, Director Grant Samuel & Associates, say they believe there is a demand from a range of groups in Auckland for a
“new approach that balances the need for the Port to make a return and the Port’s role as a service to business, in Auckland, employer of Aucklanders and guardian of the beautiful Auckland space it occupies”.
They have called a meeting in early March to develop a Charter for the Port that calls on the Council to take a broader view of the Port’s future and a vision of a triple bottom line approach to the Port , which includes :
- A Port that meets the needs of both those onshore (the importers and exporters of New Zealand) and offshore (the shipping companies) now and in the future;
- A Port that shares its land with the public, protects its environment and sees itself as part of the development of Auckland including encouraging use of the waterfront and harbour for recreation; and
- A Port that adopts a modern approach to employment relations which maintains an efficient and productive Port including retaining decent jobs and is not part of a “race to the bottom” in employment practice.”
Yes to all that.
Michael Lorimer says :
“The current approach means the Port Board is being forced to cut costs and capital expenditure. This impacts on us all. Now is the time to put up a new vision for the Port that recognises its primary role as a service to this City and New Zealand and its return to the Council must be based on a longer term understanding of its unique role in the City.
The need to increase earnings is being used to justify the current plans to reduce working conditions on the Port including contracting out labour. We support decent work conditions and oppose casualisation in the manner being proposed by the Port. Not only is it unnecessary but it could cause major disruption to its customers and contribute to increasing inequality.”
I’m heartened to hear this from major Auckland businesses and the CTU. We’ve got some smart people working together here who understand that the key to a productive Auckland port isn’t as simple as selling off jobs to the lowest bidder.
I congratulate them all.
That’s a really excellent initative. NZ can learn a lot from German competitiveness and productivity – all gained through businesses, workers and unions acting together for long term mutual interest.
However that doesn’t really fit with the unimaginative side of NZ management culture which believes that the easiest way to make an extra dollar of profit for the business is to take that dollar away from a worker.
I certainly believe the likes of Don Braid will be of immense help – from my observation, mainfreight has a great culture and has been successful at a number of levels.
This dispute would be over….
If the Labour Party Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, made a similarly strongly worded statement condemning the Ports of Auckland Ltd. for contracting out their workforce. Len Brown as Mayor should be demanding that the management of PoAL instead of going ahead with the redundancies of all MUNZ employees, enter into negotiations with the worker’s representatives in good faith.
“If the Labour Party Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, made a similarly strongly worded statement”
Hes too busy trying work out how to make the good hard working folk of Wellsford and Pukekohe pay for an inner Auckland rail loop.
I am stunned. A whiff of reality wafts over the PoAl debacle.
Here is hoping.
@Jenny – which magic wand do you want Len to wave?
From my knowledge of the matter, the current management of PoA is so entrenched in the idea of crushing MUNZ that no amount of wand-waving by Len would have any effect. You need only look at the litigation history between MUNZ and PoA to see the pre-emptive way in which PoA has attempted to crush the union at every step it has taken against the casualisation of the workforce.
Now, before the Righties appear – if they want another Pike River, they should get behind their mates at PoA and their top-dollar-legal reps ASAP, because it would appear that wealth-creators across the country are beginning to see the futility of PoA pursuing their union-busting agenda.. about time.
This is the most sensible thing I have heard about the whole sorry debacle.
I do think that, once it is over, Auckland Council as the 100% shareholder should be asking some serious questions of the PoA board. That would include the performance of it’s CEO.
@gn35
And I am unhappy with NZTA using $10b worth of taxpayer funds to build new roads in and around Auckland.
$90k p/a for an average of 28 hours work per week…for goodness’ sake, those ARE good jobs!
Sack the fools who don’t want them.
Get in new blood who DO want to work.
Problem solved.
No need for waffle about races to the bottom, visions for the future or triple bottom lines. Just ships getting loaded and unloaded, and guys getting paid pretty handsomely for doing it. Why should there be a problem here?
And amid all these demands about what people want POAL to do – does anyone stop to think “Why should they?”
I wonder – would anyone on here, or any union members accept someone telling them “you may only shop for groceries at New World”..?
I bet they wouldn’t.
And yet POAL is supposed to accept someone’s demands that they only get their labour from one place – the Union? Why should they?
Don’t spoil my share price for the Port of Tauranga. The longer this debacle goes on the happier I am, as I no longer live in Auckland, so do not pay their rates.
I see that three vessels have decided not to berth at Auckland, but divert to Tauranga.
Time to get this employment dispute out of the political arena. If Red Len loses next mayoralty election it will present an excellent opportunity to onsell this low performing council business. This will reduce need to increase rates, remove the MUNZ tax that the ports customers have to pay (>90K each indeed). Oh now I see it. That is what is happening already.
Oh and PS to Darien. I think you are wrong that this group will add value. They are a bunch of hard line lefties who I am sure will talk-fest their own econo-political beliefs. They will of course be ignored by the ports nominated managers, and will not be supported by Auckland ratepayers (the owners)
@alyson “a bunch of hard line lefties”. You’re kidding right?
Allyson…Urghh. – you must stop getting your knowledge from pamphlets and corporate brochures. If you want to be taken seriously on a particular issue, read about it first so that you have a better chance of adding something worthwhile. Now, back to your cook books. Oh, and all the best.
Glad you are here speaking on behalf of all Auckland ratepayers lol
There seems to be a lot of mis information, do they realy get 90k per annum? for less than 40 hours work?
That is a lot more than coal miners get, if that is true there is something wrong here.
I dont agree with casualisation, but can someone who knows please confirm if they get 9ok per year for 28 hours per week? Is the job excessively dangerous also?
I don’t know about remuneration but the job the Stevedores do is very dangerous. The kind of pressure that the cables used to secure containers carry (if released incorrectly) will happily decapitate anyone standing in its way. A lot of crane work too, I think.
@waterboy : a very small number may get 90K on average, but only with significant overtime, equating to more than one and half jobs. The average includes highly skilled engineers who are important to the Port’s operation and who could be paid much more overseas. Have a look at this: http://www.saveourport.com/issues/facts/
What’s not being talked about is the lousy rate for casual workers which isn;t that far above minimum wage.
Thanks Darien, As usual the spin about wages is in the favour of those with the money.
$27.00 an our is about what many skilled people get doing dangerous work.
Its not much when you consider that one wrong move and someone dies. So its just rubbish about someone working 28 hours in a week and getting 90k. I suppose there may be managers, acountants etc getting paid this though.
“This will reduce need to increase rates, remove the MUNZ tax that the ports customers have to pay (>90K each indeed).”
“$90k p/a for an average of 28 hours work per week…for goodness’ sake, those ARE good jobs!”
Its so frustrating seeing this misinformation constantly parroted. $91k for 28 hours work is simply not true, and I can testify to that as my partner has worked at the port for 12 years, works between 48 – 56 hrs every week and we have never earnt anywhere near $91k. And for someone to call his and all the other workers efforts a “munz tax” is complete and utter ignorant BS.
Its not a 9-5 monday to Friday job, the irregular hours affect every aspect of family life. If management goes ahead with its proposal to contract out and add uncertainty and insecurity over hours worked the job will be untenable for us as a family. Plus the 3 deaths at Port of Tauranga in the last 18 months shows it can be a deadly job, and health and safety needs to have priority, even over profits.
I commend all participants of this newly formed group for having the initiative and vision to consider all the issues regarding the Ports of Auckland and for actively working towards a solution, rather than simply criticising, denigrating and blaming the workers, as if the highly paid managers have no accountability or responsibility for the current situation.
Ka pai if this is true.
After living in the 80s and 90s I almost can’t believe it.
This is where we need business LEADERS, ones who have the respect of all New Zealanders for their contribution to our country and for taking everyone with them.
Ka pai
In my experiance as a “Casual”and involvment “down the Wharf”[I do not Work there any more]there is a high turnover of staff.Like alot of things in life,it looks “Rosy”from the outside.This is due to the fact that people think it is a sweet number.You get what you pay for.
“They are a bunch of hard line lefties who I am sure will talk-fest their own econo-political beliefs”
Former ACT candidate Alex Swny will be chuckling at that label.
“It started with a kiss
RODNEY HIDE’S electorate agent Priscilla Tate recently turned 60, with a surprise luncheon held in Newmarket and fellow Act Party loyalists coming out of the woodwork to celebrate.
In attendance were the likes of Heart of the City CEO Alex Swney and Newmarket’s self-styled “mayor” Cameron Brewer. Swney turned up on his Jaffa coloured scooter, balancing a big bunch of flowers and planted a kiss on Priscilla’s lips that apparently lasted 15 seconds too long.
Then Brewer made his entry in full mayoral robes and chains. Swney was asked to make the speech about Priscilla but instead talked about himself, while Brewer embarked on what appeared to be some kind of royal walkabout.
Whaleoil blogged a photo of Brewer meeting his constituents on the street, describing the head of the Newmarket Business Association as “out of control”. “
Tracey, are you the new Rachel Glucina?