- Family Man: Ron Bell (53) is striking for his four daughters’ future. Ron is a stevedore at the Ports of Auckland. He will have worked on the waterfront for 31 years this coming April and has been a union member since he was 17. Photo by Simon Oosterman
Over 300 workers and their families are being attacked at the Ports of Auckland in New Zealand by the anti-worker government that owns and operates the ports. Negotiations for a new contract began on September 6, 2011 between the public port and workers represented by the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ). Joe Fleetwood, General-Secretary of the MUNZ, says that public port officials are threatening to fire all workers unless the union agrees to all employer demands, including:
- An end to regular scheduled shifts.
- Management’s right to send workers home after three hours.
- No advance notice for dangerous, mandatory 12-hour and consecutive shifts.
“Flexibility”
Management is claiming they need more “flexibility” from the union, although up to one-quarter of the workforce can already be employed on a casual basis – with another 25% as “permanent part-time” workers. And the union already agreed to more flexibility by approving an ongoing productivity-tracking process.
Modest wage increases & higher productivity.
The union’s wage demands have also signaled flexibility by seeking a 2.5% wage increase of the base rate for stevedores that currently stands at $27 an hour. Also, union workers can’t be criticized for productivity at the Ports of Auckland – which operate 24/7 – because the public port management recently congratulated workers for achieving the “best ever” crane moves per hour.
“Casualization” is key
Garry Parsloe, National President of the MUNZ says the key issue is coming down to the “casualization” of port employees and other workers in New Zealand who face similar attacks.
“Employers want workers to be on standby, on call, and working a few hours here or there,” he says. “They want us to give up any hope of a structured, healthy life by knowing what hours we’ll be working from one day to the next.”
Privatized and de-unionized next?
While squeezing workers to make concessions of all kinds, there are also moves afoot to privatize the publically owned ports by selling them outright to investors or contracting-out management to private firms. A government commission just published an unfinished report that calls for the ports to be privatized and de-unionized. During the last contract, management tried – but failed – to contract-out crane drivers, straddle drivers, and lashing. They did succeed in contracting-out the jobs of four shuttle drivers who move containers within the port. The public port even created a company they want to employ non-union workers – including stevedore workers – at the port.
Sign an “individual agreement” to get a raise
The Port’s anti-union plan includes recruiting workers to sign “individual agreements” who are rewarded with 10% pay raises. But because management retains scheduling power, the actual amount workers earn over the course of a year could suffer.
Is Auckland becoming a “Port of Convenience?”
Dockworker unions around the world are closely following the struggle in New Zealand. On January 19,
The International Transport Workers Federation announced that anti-worker actions by management at the Port of Auckland could result in a “Port of Convenience” designation that would trigger action by ITF affiliates around the world.
The term “Port of Convenience” was coined in 2006 by ITF unions – including the ILWU – in order to designate ports that ignore basic labor rights and fall short of minimum standards. A similar system is already in place for labeling ships that operate under a “flag of convenience” by registering in countries that ignore minimum labor standards.
“The outrageous anti-union actions by New Zealand port officials are making them a prime candidate for a worldwide campaign to defend workers’ rights,” said ILWU International Vice President Ray Familathe who also serves as Second Vice-Chair of the ITF Dockers Section. “The Port of Convenience” label hasn’t been assigned yet to any port, but Auckland officials are making a good case for being the first to win this dubious distinction.”
Action by New Zealand workers
Workers in New Zealand’s “essential industries,” including ports, are required to give 14-days notice before taking strike action. The union has given four such notices – and has taken strike actions on five days so far in the struggle. These are the first strikes by workers at the Port of Auckland in almost four years.
President Parsloe has said that members will consider more strikes if management continues their effort to “casualize” workers and destroy job security.