Issue 3 • August 2003 Magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand ISSN 1176-3418

Fighting for NZ ShippingOn the road with the cabotage campaign

Ted Thompson: the passing of a‘giant of the waterfront’

Delegate training races ahead

Port Roundup

Women’s Conference:the changing face of the Union

Mainland get the message from Bluff

Holidays for casuals

Interport 2004

Union ClothingPort Security

2

by Trevor Hanson

General Secretary

Maritime Union makingan impact throughoutNew Zealand

Our recent June joint council meet-ing went very successfully and weare set on course for our first confer-ence on 21 – 23 October.

It is proposed that both of ourorganizations will completely mergeon October 1.

This will mean the start up of twonew Seafarer branches, one inAuckland and the other in Wellington.

At the same time the Nationaloffice will join together all resourcesand finances.

If the past 12 months are a indica-tion of the future then I am sure thatour marriage will be a success.

Union elections

Nominations for national positionsare opening on Monday August 18and close on Friday October 10, andelections will take place after confer-ence.

Cabotage campaign

I have been particularly impressedwith the amount of work put into thecabotage campaign by a group ofyoung Wellington Seafarers.

The campaign came togetherquickly from the seed of an idea towhat is now a major national cam-paign.

The group brainstormed their ownposters, they asked me to write to allpoliticians, and they put togetherinformation packs and sent them to allpoliticians.

At the time of writing the Cabotagecampaign group have met with everypolitician in the country.

The good part about it is they haveinvolved branches right around thecountry as well.

Some of the receptions they got area story on their own – I hope Rachel,Joe or some of the committee find timeto put them in writing for this edition,after the amount of work (mostlyvoluntary) put in by them.

I hope that the assurances of helpfrom many the politicians bears fruit.

The recognition by the Govern-ment that vessels using our membersshould carry coastal cargo would betremendous not only to seafarers andwharfies, but New Zealand as whole.

The overall picture of the industryis one of change as the big boyscontinue to try and out-manoeuvreeach other for market share, all withthe ambition of being topdog.

It doesn’t work, and plays hell withworkforces along the way.

As a union we will continue tocombat such attacks.

From our new position I am surewe will do so from a position of muchgreater strength.

Port security

The changes to port security arenow well under way.

The Maritime Union was repre-sented at the first national portsecurity consultative committee bymyself.

The first local port committeemeeting was held in Gisborne, whichDein Ferris and I attended.

It appears that as the Governmentputs the new law into place, thenational committee will devolve toPort level committees.

At both the Wellington andGisborne meetings we made it clearthat we are not accepting any form ofvetting of our members unless it is ona national basis.

We also made it quite clear wewant a national register of Waterfrontworkers and Seafarers.

All ports will have these localmeetings soon, and we should berepresented at all of these meetings.

It is particularly important that weare there putting the case for ourmembership.

Health & Safety Delegates

It appears we are well ahead ofothers in delegate training for Healthand Safety.

Remember it is a tool we have beengiven, so let’s use it and stop some ofthe bad practises that have developedover the past decade.

We have featured an article in thisMaritimes which covers the trainingseminars which have been going onaround the ports.

We have just produced and sent toall ports a small handbook for water-front delegates, in some ports it isalready being used and from allreports it has been a success.

Front cover picture:The Cabotage campaign hits Wellington withofficials and rank and file members canvassingthe public in Cuba Street, Friday 18 July, 2003.(Photo by Andy Ball)

National OfficeTelephone: 04 3850 792

Fax: 04 3848 766

Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington

Email: nationaloffice@munz.org.nz

General Secretary: Trevor Hanson

Mobile: 0274 453 532

Email: trevor.hanson@munz.org.nz

Joint National President:Dave Morgan

Mobile: 021 441 013

Email: dave.morgan@munz.org.nz

Contact the Maritime UnionJoint National President: Les Wells

Mobile: 0274 329 620

Email: les.wells@munz.org.nz

ITF Inspectorate: Kathy Whelan

Mobile: 021 666 405

Email: kathy.whelan@munz.org.nz

The Maritime Union

of New Zealand

is affiliated to the

International

Transport Workers’

Federation.

3

‘The Maritimes’Edition 3, August 2003

Contents

Trevor Hanson Report ............... 2

Dave Morgan Report ................. 3

News ................................... 4

ITF Report ............................. 8

Holidays for casuals campaign ..... 9

Vale Ted Thompson .................. 10

Vale Tas Bull .......................... 11

Merchant Navy memorial ........... 11

Delegates Training ................... 12

Women’s Conference ................ 14

Cabotage Campaign Special ........ 16

Bluff picket news .................... 18

International news .................. 19

Port Roundups ........................ 20

Clothing ............................... 28

Interport 2004 update .............. 28

Health and Safety update .......... 29

Webwatch ............................. 30

Letters ................................. 31

Union Contacts ....................... 31

The Back Page ........................ 32

‘The Maritimes’ is the official national

magazine of the Maritime Union of New

Zealand, published quarterly.

ISSN 1176-3418

National Office:

PO Box 27004

Wellington

New Zealand

Telephone 04 3850 792

Fax 04 3848 766

Email: nationaloffice@munz.org.nz

Web: www.munz.org.nz

Edited and designed by Victor Billot

Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Editorial Board:

Trevor Hanson and Dave Morgan

Thanks to the photographers including

Harry Holland, Rachael Goddard, Bob

Thorpe, Bob Stephenson, Phil

Spanswick, Joe Fleetwood, Kathy

Whelan, Dave Lark, Trevor Hanson,

Todd Valster (RMTU) and others

unnamed. Thanks to the MUA,

ITF and ILWU for

material, and Andy

Ball and Julie

Uitentuis for

design work and

proofing.

by Dave Morgan

Joint National President

A dangerous timefor New Zealandworkers

We have seen it all before, midwaythrough the second term of a centreleft Government the middle classstrikes begin.

It is a dangerous time for workersas it begins a process that shapes thefuture Government in New Zealand.

This must not fool the MaritimeUnion and its members, right now theFarmers are leading the push, but weshould remember the Government iscloser to us and our people than theFederated Farmers will ever be.

I do not know enough about theKyoto protocol on the environment toadd much except to say there is aproposed minimal levy being put onfarmers to fund a study on how we todeal with the large environmentalproblem of farm industry emissions.

The levy proposed is in the end tobenefit the farming industry.

Federated Farmers have alwaysopposed any development in ourindustry albeit that they hardly everhad any direct business with NewZealand shipping.

Business New Zealand, FederatedFarmers, and the ManufacturersFederation are all opposed to even aminimal adjustment to the cabotageregime and consequentially thedevelopment of a New Zealandshipping industry that may have apriority claim to work around theNew Zealand coast.

They all oppose anything that maycost them and interfere with theirdivine right to do exactly what theywant to do and let someone else cleanup and pay for the consequences oftheir actions.

We do not need to become apolo-gists for the Labour led Governmentbut we do need to maintain a clearworking class political perspective onthe issues that unfold around us andknow what is best for our class.

We are a group of workers orga-nized into a Union for mutual benefitand for the benefit of those who

follow us.We must continue to campaign

without favour to win our argumentfor cabotage.

This Government is more centrethan centre left and we need tocontinually remind them of what isnecessary for their own transportstrategy to succeed.

We need to ensure also that we dowhat we can to organize in ourindustry and communities for the re-election of a centre left Government.

International Ports and ShippingSecurity Code

This matter is moving ahead andthe union has been in attendance atnational and local port meetings heldover the past month.

Security assessments have beenprogrammed for New Plymouth,Wellington and Tauranga initially withothers to follow.

These assessments are to be doneby an Australian company GlobalVillage Strategies and they willconsult widely within the ports.

The union is represented on theNational Committee.

We have been successful in gettingthe Union’s claim on the table for anational vetting process deeming ourexisting members secure.

The other goal put forward is for anational register of seafarers andwharfies with security clearance to beheld by the Maritime Safety Authority.

The Union has insisted that we berepresented on the local Port Commit-tees also and have, to date, gained thisrepresentation.

It requires constant vigilance asthere is a great deal of employerresistance to our claims for a register.

There is yet to be debate on thematter but logic is surely on our sidein the argument.

In the meantime the ILO has nowresolved on the matter of seafareridentity cards and these will bedeveloped by the national states inaccordance with international criteria.

[continued on page 5]

4

Work stopped at Wellington’sCentreport on Monday 28 andTuesday 29 July as workers launchedstrike action.

Members of the Maritime Union ofNew Zealand (MUNZ) and the Railand Maritime Union of New Zealand(RMTU) were both involved in the 48hour stoppage.

Maritime Union General SecretaryTrevor Hanson says the disputeinvolves employees of the RegionalCouncil owned Centreport.

Centreport has create a whollyowned stevedoring subsidiary CentralStevedoring Ltd (CSL) and sponsoredthe formation of a company Unionwhich ”is open to employees” of CSL.

RMTU General Secretary WayneButson says “Centreport claims itneeds these cuts in the conditions ofour members to meet the market, yetby establishing CSL they are actually‘creating’ the competition.”

“The conditions on the Wellingtonwaterfront are in line with conditionsin most New Zealand ports.”

Union members who have beenworking on the waterfront for yearsand who are highly skilled have beenspectacularly unsuccessful in obtain-ing employment with CSL.

Mr Butson says one member withover 20 years waterfront experiencereceived a decline letter that stated he“lacked the necessary skills.”

Mr Hanson says despite several

Keeping the New

Zealand flag in New

Zealand coastal

shipping:

cabotage campaign

gains steam

The Maritime Union’s nationalcampaign for Cabotage has gainedexcellent coverage in the last fewweeks.

A campaign team has been touringNew Zealand in a new Union van toraise public awareness, lobby politi-cians and gather signatures to send toParliament.

Several thousand posters havegone up around the country andnearly 50 000 leaflets distributed tomembers, families and communities.

We feature a cabotage campaignspecial with an article by campaignorganizer Joe Fleetwood on pages 16and 17 of this edition of the Maritimes.

Port of Wellington shuts

down for 48 hour strikemeetings and mediation withCentreport, the Union has received noassurances that members job securityand conditions will be carried over tothe new company.

Maritime Union WellingtonSecretary John Whiting says thecontracting out of work could havepotentially devastating consequenceson waterfront workers and the stabil-ity of the waterfront environment.

“We are not going to stand by andwatch our jobs and conditions die adeath from a thousand cuts as con-tracting out and casualization rip theguts out of our workforce.”

Mr Whiting says a majority ofwork at Centreport is now done bycasual labour with all the negativeimplications that has for workers.

The Maritime Union describes theissues at stake as “line in the sand”and says if necessary the Union willmake the dispute a national one.

The Unions gained a commitmentfrom the EPMU and the MerchantService Guild that their port members,will respect the picket lines.

Mr Butson says Wellington railworkers were also helping out on thepicket lines.

This is the second week in a rowMaritime Union members and RMTUmembers have supported each otherin industrial action on the waterfront,following last weekends non-relatedpickets in Bluff.

Maritime Union members on the Centreport picket, 28 June 2003 (photo by Trevor Hanson.)

5

Port securityswings intogearNew port security measures intro-duced by the Government aremoving ahead quickly.

Maritime Union representativeshave been attending meetings of thenew Port Security Committees whichare in charge of the policy.

A national port and ship securitycommittee based in Wellington isresponsible for the overall policy.

Maritime Union General SecretaryTrevor Hanson attended the initialmeeting in late June.

Local committees have been set upin ports around the country, and arebeing attended by local MaritimeUnion representatives as well asnational officials.

The ports of Wellington, NewPlymouth and Mt. Maunganui-Tauranga are the first three ports to beassessed.

The Maritime Union is pushing fora guarantee all our members will bedeemed ‘secure’ when the new lawscome into force.

The Union also wants a nationalregister of bona fide waterfront andseafarer union members set up by theMaritime Safety Authority (MSA).

The MSA have been given the taskof running the security project whichaims to be in place in the next twelvemonths.

A Maritime Safety Bill that putsinternational security rules into effectis expected by the end of the year.

Countries have until July 1 nextyear to comply with InternationalMaritime Organization security rulesdeveloped after the September 11terrorist attacks in the US.

In New Zealand, the rules mayinvolve up to 14 government agencies,requiring co-ordination among theinvolved parties.

This years Budget included moneyfor Customs to x-ray more containers.

There are plans to buy mobiletrucks and to x-ray cargo identified asrisky through sniffer dogs, physicalinspection and a risk-analysis infor-mation system.

The new machines are expected tobe in service by early next year.

Dave Morgan Report[continued from page 3]

Although we had thought that theissue had been resolved earlier thebasis of a fingerprint test and the carditself will hold only passport typedetails of the bearer.

This represents a compromise asthe question of a smart card wasadvanced by the shipowners.

This was rejected by the ITF assuch a card could be used to carrypolitical, religious and other privateinformation about the bearer.

Maritime Union

Working through the transitionperiod, the Joint National Council ofthe Maritime Union met in Wellingtonon Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12June 2003 for the second time.

The amalgamation process wascontinued and we increased theunderstanding of both groups of howwe work into the future.

The Joint Council meeting alsopaved the way for the first TriennialConference of the Maritime Union thatwill be held in Wellington from 21-23October 2003.

Matters for Conference should bereceived as remits from Branchmeetings and need to get to theNational Office of the Maritime Unionby the end of August.

Cabotage Campaign

The campaign has been a markedsuccess to date and it is necessary nowthat to keep up the momentum.

The long term policy for a cam-paign van has been realized and put togood effect.

A team have had it on the roadthroughout the main shipping centresin the North Island distributing

leaflets and having the postcardssigned and sent in to the MPs.

The word cabotage is resonatingthrough Parliament House as a clearindication of our success.

There has been some difficulty inassessing just when the matter isgoing to be reported to Cabinet andthis is important to our case.

The campaign has been timed tothe Ministers advice that he would putthe Shipping Industry Review beforeCabinet in July 2003. This may now bein some doubt as the Minister is nowsaying within a couple of months.

It will be difficult to sustain thecampaign at current levels for thatperiod of time without full member-ship involvement.

Women’s Conference

In a clear demonstration of howthe Union is changing in compositionbut not in spirit or politics a group ofwomen members’ three delegatesfrom Wellington and Aucklandrepresented the Maritime Union atthis conference in Wellington.

Six observers from Wellingtonjoined them and all not only enjoyedthe experience of connecting withother women trade unionists but theyalso organized and carried Unionpolicy forward.

The group presented and hadcarried, an industry remit on cabotagewhich was important for the Union inthe context of the previous report butit also should be noted it was not aspecific women’s issue and it securedstrong support for the cause of theMaritime Union.

Well done to all those memberswho participated, their action bodeswell for the increased participation ofwomen in our Union and the growthof a strong Maritime Union.

‘The Maritimes’ is the official magazine of the

Maritime Union of New Zealand.

All correspondence to: ‘The Maritimes’,PO Box 27004, Wellington, New Zealand.

Email victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Deadline for all Port reports, submissions, photos and letters:October 11 2003.

6

Employmentlaw needsmore teethNew research strongly supports thecase for strengthening of the Employ-ment Relations Act.

Professor Pat Walsh of VictoriaUniversity released research in Julywhich shows the Employment Rela-tions Act (ERA) is failing in its keyobjective of promoting collectivebargaining.

It also says there has been littlechange in the bargaining environmentsince the Act came into force morethan two years ago.

CTU President Ross Wilson saysthe research proves the ERA was avery moderate change to our employ-ment laws.

“Unfortunately it is now provingto be so moderate as to be ineffectivein achieving its stated objectives.”

Many employers have usedsophisticated legal strategies tofrustrate the ERA, and weaknesses inthe law have been exposed in practiceover the past two years.

Unions have proposed four keygoals to the Government’s review ofthe ERA.

These include the promotion ofcollective bargaining and an end tofreeloading by non-union members.

The protection of vulnerableworkers on ownership change of abusiness and better ‘good faith’provisions are also needed.

Mr Wilson says the new researchshows the ERA is not working as itwas intended and that key parts of itneed to be strengthened.

Courtesy call: Two representatives of the Port of Los Angeles called in at the Maritime Unionnational office in June. The Port of Los Angeles is setting up a office in New Zealand, and thevisitors exchanged views on port security, biosecurity, the US economy and the attack byPortland police on anti-war demonstrators and ILWU members in April.Pictured from left Trevor Hanson (Maritime Union), Al Fierstine (Port of LA Director of BusinessDevelopment), Dave Morgan (Maritime Union, standing), and Thomas H. Warren (Member, LABoard of Harbor Commissioners.) Mr Warren is a former ILWU president of Local 63 MarineClerks.

Inland portsthreat towaterfront?Tasman Orient Line has committed toPorts of Auckland’s Otahuhu inlandport facility.

All Tasman Orient carried importcontainers will now be transferred tothe Otahuhu facility on arrival at theseaport.

The Otahuhu facility is located inthe centre of South Auckland, and hasall the road and yard functions of acontainer terminal.

Export containers are processed atthe inland port and transported to theseaport, and import containers clearedat the seaport and then stored anddistributed from the inland port.

Ports of Auckland claim movingthe processing and storage functionsof the seaport inland will relievepressure on the seaport.

Import containers are transferredto the inland port outside normalworking hours in a bid to relieve port-related traffic.

Otahuhu is one of two inland portsites for the Port of Auckland with athird under construction at Wiri.

Thumbs down for

America’s Cup

slush fund

The Maritime Union of New Zealandsays the Government’s decision inMay to hand out $33.75 milliondollars to back a 2007 Team NewZealand America’s Cup challengeshows strange priorities.

Joint National President DaveMorgan says he would like theGovernment to show similar interestin the New Zealand shipping industry.

Mr Morgan says “The Governmentsays its all about targeting the richesttourists in the world for economicdevelopment.”

“However the Maritime Unionsays the Government should betargeting New Zealand workers foreconomic development.”

The New Zealand shipping indus-try is an essential part of NewZealand’s economic infrastructure thathas been let down by successiveGovernments.

Mr Morgan says urgent attention isrequired to protect and build NewZealand’s shipping capacity.

7

Safety andGangway Nets The Maritime Union national officehas recently received enquiries fromsome ports about gangway nets.

It appears employers are askingwhat is wrong with box nets as theyare being used in other ports.

The Maritime Union policy hasnever changed, and if it is occurringthen our members are being put at risk.

The Union recently supplied aproposed delegate’s list of safetychecks on vessels to the MaritimeSafety Authority for their perusal.

The MSA came back to the Unionwith a suggested addition and gaveverbal approval to the rest.

Point one of the proposal was:“Ensure that the gangway or

accesses to a vessel is in good repairand safe.

Safety nets should be slung fromthe outboard side of the gangway,then underneath the gangway andfinally secured to the ships side toprevent anyone falling on the inboardside of the gangway.

Although boxed gangways areacceptable, they must also have asafety net slung and rigged as men-tioned in the first instance.

Ensure adequate lighting is inplace, for boarding, and evacuation,during hours of darkness.”

An unsafe gangway under the newact is a hazard!

“Private portsnot in publicinterest” –Aussie expertShareholders, rather than port users,are benefiting from any efficiencygains in privatized ports, accordingto University of Wollongong re-searcher Dr. James Reveley.

Dr. Reveley recently completed aneconomic analysis of Australian andNew Zealand ports with fellowresearcher, Associate ProfessorMalcolm Tull of Murdoch University.

Dr. Reveley said he and ProfessorTull conducted the first comprehen-sive analysis of reforms made toAustralian and New Zealand ports.

During the 1980s, while Australiaretained most ports in public owner-ship and concentrated oncorporatization, New Zealandfavoured partial privatization, withthe majority of shares held by localauthorities.

The researchers compared the twosystems as New Zealand was thoughtto be an example of best practice byport commentators, based on littleanalysis or evidence.

But the researchers found priva-tized ports may not be in the bestinterest of the public.

They said any private monopolyon a port needs close surveillance byauthorities, which does not happenenough in New Zealand.

In Australia there are bodies suchas the Australian Competition andConsumer Commission, and Victoriahas a special regulatory board forports.

Reveley and Tull noted that SouthAustralia has recently privatized allseven major ports in the state.

Bulk carrierproject still on?The Maritime Union have a coastalbulk collective employment agree-ment with Adsteam, but the com-pany has had no ship to date.

Adsteam have restructured whichhas meant the withdrawal of theirNew Zealand company.

Maritime Union Joint NationalPresident Dave Morgan says it wasassumed this meant the end of thelong term project to operate a coastalbulk carrier.

But former New Zealand Managerof Adsteam Peter Dunlop has told theUnion the coastal shipping plan is notdead.

Seabulk Ltd, a new company, istaking over for Trans-Tasman andcoastal bulk shipping.

Mr Dunlop says some coastalmovements will be subcontractedfrom Sea Tow when they have nobarges available, or via Seabulk forcargo that open barges cannot carry.

Although the Union have yet tospeak with Seabulk, from mediareports it appears we are looking atthe arrival of a landing barge to bebased in New Plymouth for coastaloperation.

It is owned by LD Shipping, whooperate non union out of LauncetonTasmania.

Standing tall: Maritime Union rank and file members show their support for striking workers atthe Kinleith plant near Tokoroa. The Maritime Union donated thousands of dollars as well as foodto the striking workers and visited the picket line during the three month dispute. The Kinleithworkers returned on May 28 with their heads held high.

8

Kathy Whelan

ITF Coordinator for New Zealand

ITF Newsand Views

‘Crew drink canal water whileCaptain’s dog drinks mineral water’makes a good newspaper headline.

Sadly this was just one of manyexamples of abuse the InternationalTransport Workers ‘ Federation (ITF)discovered in May on board thePanamanian flagged vessel ‘Wisteria.’

The Indonesian and Myanmarcrew members were covered by theKorean owners/managers employ-ment contract – which contained 5clauses threatening retribution shouldthey have any contact with the ITF.

A double set of books was kept – inthe case of an AB the employmentcontract provided for a monthlyconsolidated wage of US$930, but hewas actually paid US$340.

Crew also worked excessive hourswith no overtime payments.

In respect to the Indonesian crewmembers, their manning agent inJakarta charged them US$432 forgetting them the job and took aretainer of US$50 per month for eachcrew member he had placed withcompany.

The condition of the ship wasdreadful and it lacked any form ofsocial amenities.

Crew didn’t even have enoughcrockery or eating utensils.

Food was substandard and in a lotof cases past its use by date.

There was a the of basic facilitiessuch as water for showers and laun-dry, with no soap or laundry detergentprovided.

The vessel was at the end of itsNew Zealand charter doing four portsloading meat and fruit.

Five Indonesian crew memberswho had been on the vessel forvarying lengths (from 3 months to 2years) sought assistance from the ITF.

Given the number of New Zealandports the vessel was calling at we wereable to put a case together.

We obtained back pay ofUS$28,548.66 and made sure all fivecrew members were repatriated.

Bob Thorpe (New Plymouth) andBilly Connelly (Napier) did a great jobin getting the documentation requiredfor the claim and in giving the crewsupport and assistance.

The ‘Wisteria’ is a typical flag ofconvenience ship.

It was owned by a Korean com-pany, registered in Panama, andcrewed by a mixed nationality crewfrom Korea, Indonesia and Myanmar.

This is just one of many examplesof abuse and mistreatment that occursin the shipping industry.

It is a classic example of why everybit of energy and commitment shouldbe given to the Maritime Union’scampaign for the restoration ofcabotage.

ITF Green

alliance lobby UN

A new coalition of labour, environ-mentalists and human rights groupshave joined the ITF in demandingstronger laws to govern internationalwaters.

Armed with a new ITF publication‘Steering the Right Course’ the ITF,WWF International, GreenpeaceInternational, Friends of the EarthInternational, Global Witness andHuman Rights Watch argued hard forthis at recent United Nations meet-ings.

The ITF described the flag ofconvenience system as leading to “realsuffering and hardship amongstseafarers and their families as well asdamage to fragile marine ecosystems.“

The coalition’s case for properlyregulated international shipping, agenuine link between ships and flagsstates and clearly defined responsibili-ties by flag states won support from anumber of delegations at the confer-ence.

These issues were included in areport for consideration by the UNGeneral Assembly when it meets laterthis year.This article can be found on the Webat:http://www.mua.org.au/news/shipping/alliance.html

We want your ideas!The Maritimes welcomes contributions from members around New Zealand.

Letters, articles and photos can be sent in – they can be about on the job topics,

personal interests, sport, history, politics, social events, in fact anything you like.

Please send to: ‘The Maritimes’, PO Box 27004, Wellington, New Zealand

or email victor.billot@munz.org.nz or fax 03 4736 975 or phone 021 171 0911

9

“If we took a holiday, took some timeto celebrate,Just one day out of life, it would be,it would be so nice.One day to come together, to releasethe pressure, we need a holiday.”

Some members of the Union mayremember the above song which was ahit for Madonna in the eighties.

Unfortunately for many of ourmembers there is little chance to takesome time to celebrate or release thepressure.

With growing casualization of thewaterfront, many of our members are‘regular casuals’ who function as full-time workers but have none of thebenefits of permanent employees.

For most of its history, the water-front has had some form of casuallabour to service the peaks andtroughs of shipping.

In recent years the ‘casualization’of jobs has become common through-out the economy, and the maritimeindustries have become increasinglycasualized as well.

Early in July 2003 the MaritimeUnion made submissions on the Billcurrently before Parliament forchanges to the Holidays Act, as well asMP Matt Robson’s Private MembersBill for four weeks annual leave.

Phil Spanswick and Trevor Hansonappeared before the select committeeon behalf of the five hundred regularcasual members working at NewZealand ports.

The Labour and Green Partycommittee members agreed theywould examine the Union’s case.

(In contrast the BusinessRoundtable submission was thereshould be no law providing forholidays for workers at all!)

The Union explained to Govern-ment and opposition politicians howshipping and cargo companies aredemanding a relatively small coregroup of skilled employees backed upby a casual workforce.

Between these two groups are aconsiderable number of permanent

part timers who are employed undermany different guises.

There are two types of casualworker.

The first being a person who isemployed when a port is extremelybusy, usually on a one off basis.

The second is a person whoregularly works as a casual for aspecific stevedore or makes himselfavailable to all stevedores at theirhome port.

The Union submission was madeon behalf of our members who are inthe second category (Regular Casuals),many of whom have worked in theindustry for lengthy periods, and relyon this employment as a sole or firstpreference income.

Many have worked on this basis forten or more years with a hope ofpermanent employment in the industry.

Technological advances havereduced the amount of labour re-quired on many cargoes.

Combined with older membersstaying on until they can obtain the

Government superannuation, thesituation has prevented many regularcasuals progressing to full timeemployment.

Many regular casuals work 150days or more a year, and in reality areon standby without payment waitingfor the telephone call to come to work.

The only difference between thesepeople and a permanent employee isthat casuals are not on some form ofguaranteed weekly payment.

The Maritime Union believes thenew laws being made by the Govern-ment do not take the regular casualsemployment status into account.

The Union made the followingpoints.

Public Holidays

A regular casual should haveprotection under law for PublicHolidays.

Where a regular casual is em-ployed at a port by an individual orseveral stevedores, a total of days

worked should be kept by the em-ployee and his employers at the port.

A day worked will be any day onwhich a regular casual works eighthours or more.

When a regular casual has worked24 days, they should be granted oneeight hour payment at the averagecasual rate in that port.

This payment can be either from aindividual employer or averaged outamongst the employers for whom thecasual worked the last 24 days.

The Union says the Holidays Billdoes not allow for a regular casual tobe specific as to which day of the weekqualifies them to a public holiday,that falls on a day which is otherwisea working day for them.

The Union told the Select Commit-tee that the majority of regular casualshave to work on Public Holidays.

In most cases they cannot affordnot to take the work.

They are also reluctant to turn anemployer down, in case they don’t getthe next call for work.

Sick and Bereavement LeaveOn the matter of sick days and

bereavement leave the Union says aregular casual should be entitled to aproportion of the days granted topermanent workers under the Bill.

The Union argued that a regularcasual should be entitled to one daysick leave at the rate of eight hourspay, for each 50 days worked per year,and one days bereavement leave foreach 80 days worked per year.

Other industries such as Hospital-ity, Aged Care and Retail all employlarge numbers of casual workers whoare mainly women and teenagers.

Surely they should be entitled tosick and bereavement leave as well.

The rights of casual workerswhether in the Maritime industry orelsewhere can no longer be ignored.

The Maritime Union will continueits campaign for the rights of casualworkers and to reverse thecasualization of the maritime indus-tries.

Time to ‘release the pressure’:

holiday rights for casual workers

10

Members of the Maritime Union andmany others in our industry weresaddened with news of the death ofTed Thompson on May 29, 2003.

Tributes and messages flowed toTed’s family from many branches andindividuals in the Maritime Union.

Life member Chris Kenny spoke onbehalf of the Maritime Union at Ted’sservice.

He described Ted as a good familyman who had lived in an era that sawgreat struggles to advance the inter-ests of workers.

Ted was prominent amongst thefine trade union leaders, working classintellectuals and activists of the time.

“He was a man of high ideals andintegrity, who could be relied onabsolutely and under any circum-stances.”

Born in the Coromandel in 1916,Ted had a long and productive life.

He spent the early part of hisworking life as a construction workerbefore going to sea as a fireman in1938.

During the war he participated inthe allied landings in North Africa onthe Awatea.

After dropping the 6th CommandoBattalion off at Algiers the Awatea wasattacked by German bombers andsunk with many casualties.

After the war Ted took up a job onthe Wellington Waterfront in 1946.

As a member of the WellingtonBranch Committee during the 151 day

Ted’s family have asked the followingmessage of thanks be recorded:

Thompson, Edward George (Ted)The family of the late Ted would

like to sincerely thank past andpresent members of the MaritimeUnion for the expressions of sympathyand support following our recentbereavement.

The tributes to our Dad have beengreatly appreciated.

waterfront lockout in 1951, he was“very much at loggerheads with theNational Government, the Federationof Labour and the Press, an unholyTrinity.”

Following his return to work in1954, with the Union in disarray, Tedwas voted walking delegate, a posi-tion he held until 1967.

From 1967 to 1972 he served asassistant National Secretary to theNew Zealand Waterside WorkersFederation, and in 1972 he became theWaterside Representative on theFederation of Labour.

In 1980 he became the Federationof Labour Vice President.

As the Waterside National Secre-tary he is held largely responsible fornegotiating the new containerizationagreements.

In the hard fought negotiations,Ted was in his element.

Among other gains he won a 30hour week on the container terminals.

Waterfront workers enjoyed thefruits of his negotiating skills.

Ted had an international outlook,he was a staunch opponent of racismand apartheid, he supported theFederation of Labour’s opposition tothe Vietnam War, opposed the 1981Springbok rugby tour and supportedthe Chilean trade ban.

Ted, a staunch supporter of theLabour Party, was also a strongsupporter of the Union’s cultural andsporting activities.

Terry Ryan on behalf of MaritimeUnion Auckland Branch Local 13described Ted as a “genuine workingclass hero.”

“Ted was widely recognized as thedriving force that created the Water-front Industry Superannuation fund,and just as he predicted it would, itallowed wharfies to retire withdignity. “

Members would also rememberTed for his eloquent language.

An example is his response to a1978 question on employers reasonsfor redundancy which he described as“a barrage of emotional tripe from theevil-intentioned edge of industrialspivs.”

Maritime Union Secretary TrevorHanson described Ted as a livinglegend to New Zealand waterfrontworkers.

Ted attended the 2001 WaterfrontWorkers’ Conference to witness theprocess of amalgamation between theWaterfront Workers Union and theSeafarers Union, a move he had longsupported.

“His forethought and drivingpassion to enhance workers’ rightsand conditions are still very visibleand with us today – our nationalbuilding and our superannuationschemes are two examples.”

Vale Ted Thompson, seafarer,waterfront worker, and unionist.(Thanks to Chris Kenny and Ted’s daughterBeverley Carter for their notes andphotographs.)

Vale Ted Thompson:the passing of a ‘living legend of the waterfront’

Ted Thompson pictured with his late wife Ida.

11

Vale Tas Bull(1932 – 2003)

The Maritime Union of Australia hasannounced the passing of formerGeneral Secretary of the WatersideWorkers Federation Tas Bull, unionleader, internationalist, socialist,seafarer, waterside worker andwriter.

Tas was elected Waterside WorkersFederation Sydney Branch VigilanceOfficer 1967, Branch President andFederal Councillor 1970, FederalOrganizer 1971, Assistant GeneralSecretary 1983 and General Secretary1984 to 1992.

He also served as ACTU VicePresident and Senior Vice President inthe 1980s and early 1990s.

Born in Australia of Norwegianand Scottish stock, he went to sea atthe age of 14 and joined the Seaman’sUnion of Australia in 1954.

He joined the waterfront and theWWF in Hobart in 1956, and went onto play a key role in the Union.

He was instrumental in the deci-

sion to amalgamate the WWF and theSUA into the Maritime Union ofAustralia.

When he retired from Union officehe remained active in senior roles withACTU projects.

He celebrated his 70th birthday inHavana, Cuba, with friends andcomrades in January 2002.

In a letter to the MUA, DaveMorgan and Trevor Hanson of theMaritime Union of New Zealandexpressed their sadness at the passingof a “huge character in the workingclass struggle for human rights anddignity in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.”

Tas Bull was known and respectedinternationally as a trade unionthinker and activist, fearless in hisadherence to his principles.

Tas had given a lead both with theInternational Transport WorkersFederation (ITF) and with the Austra-lian Union movement.

Dunedin Mayor Sukhi Turner opens the Dunedin Workers Memorialon April 28. Situated in the Market Reserve, the memorial is forOtago workers who have died through accidents on the job. Thememorial was funded by local Unions and some businesses. Theopening ceremony was attended by local union members andpoliticians.

The Auckland Merchant Navy Memorial was unveiled by HelenClark on 2 March 2003 at Teal Park at the Port of Auckland.President of the New Zealand Merchant Navy Association(Auckland Branch) Dave Lark says the memorial was planned forseveral years, but a suitable situation was only found recently.Contributors to the memorial included the Maritime Union, theRSA and individual donors. A wreath laying service will be held atthe memorial on Sunday 31 August at 11am.

12

Delegate Training

Delegate TrainingDelegate training is the way the Maritime Union ismaking our Union more effective in the workplace.

Delegates have attended training sessions through-out New Zealand as part of a general educationprogramme as well as the CTU Health and Safetycampaign.

Craig Harrison of Auckland Branch Local 13 hasbeen helping to organize the training programme andsays the courses have had a positive impact.

“Delegates have come out of the course, and startedcoming up to the office, downloading more info andsigning up members.”

The Delegate’s Training Course has three separateparts.

The first is an introductory seminar about the Unionat work, the second is based around resolving work-place disputes and the third is about how to deal withthe disciplinary process.

The course is led by Union educator ChrisMcDonald (assisted by Bob Stephenson) who has takencourses around New Zealand including Auckland,Wellington, Mt. Maunganui, Lyttelton and Port Chalm-ers.

The Delegates Training is Department of Labourapproved as “Employment Relations Education Leave”which was introduced with the Employment RelationsAct.

As one Port Chalmers delegate wrote on his courseevaluation sheet, “ . . . being a Union delegate will be achallenging and rewarding process.

I am at no illusion that I will have to work hard andmake sure I try to do things correctly, and do the bestfor members. Chris doesn’t sugar coat things – whichgives you a reality check!”

CTU communications manager Lyndy McIntyre talks to union delegatesat the Auckland Health and Safety Seminar. Lyndy recently moved onfrom the CTU and is now working for the Nurses Organization (but herassistance to the Maritime Union during the height of the Carter Holtand Mainland dispute will not be forgotten!)

Air of concentration: Port Chalmers delegates get to grips withemployment agreements.

Wellington members learn how to improve their on the job effectiveness as workplace delegates.

13

Port Chalmers delegates at their May seminar. From left (standing) Chris McDonald (Unioneducator), Andrew Mears, Mark Middleditch, Gene Carthy, Adam Law, (sitting from left) JeffDuncan, Cyril Todd, Michael Lysaght.

Moro Peters (left) and Richard Goldthorpe ofMt Maunganui Tauranga branch at their Uniondelegates seminar held at the Tauranga HockeyClub, 5 June 2003.

Mt Maunganui Branch President Terrance Tai(left) with delegate Peter Winiata at the 5June seminar “Working with members toresolve workplace issues.”

Playing it safe: Mt Maunganui Tauranga delegates at the ACC/CTU Health and Safety Rep TrainingSeminar, 8/9 July 2003. From left, Eddie Cook, Brian Huxtable, John Matehaere, DebbieGardiner, Scott Tietjen, Sam Nepiata, Tony Gibbons, Mark Oxenham. Back row, from left, PeterCook, Selwyn Russell, Brian Harrington, Kerry Grant, Daniel Hocking.

Health and

Safety TrainingThe Maritime Union is taking part inthe Health and Safety seminars runby ACC and the Council of TradeUnions.

These two day seminars are beingrun to educate Health and Safetydelegates as part of a nationwidecampaign.

The ‘Unions Talking Health andSafety’ campaign aims to make ourworkplaces safer.

The goal is to elect 10,000 healthand safety delegates throughout NewZealand this year.

By ensuring these reps are trainedand supported, and by developingsystems where workers can partici-pate in health and safety decisions, thecampaign can be a success.

See page 29 for more health andsafety news.

14

A two day Women’s Conference wasrecently held at Victoria University,Wellington, organized by the Councilof Trade Unions (CTU).

The women delegates of MaritimeUnion of New Zealand welcomed theopportunity to attend on the account ofthe lack of a women’s structure withinthe Union.

CTU Vice-President and Women’sCouncil representative Darien Fenton

opened the conference with an intro-duction of the 19 women councilmembers.

Speakers included Australian CTUPresident Sharan Burrow, Tali Williamsof the Youth Union Movement (YUM),Prime Minister Helen Clark, AudreyMei of the Service Workers Union atSky City Casino, and Minister ofWomen’s Affairs Ruth Dyson.

150 Delegates attend conference

The conference brought more than150 women delegates together from allover New Zealand.

Women from ASTE (Tertiary educa-tion staff), SFWU (Service workers),Runanga, Komiti Pasefika, PPTA(Secondary teachers), AUS (Universitystaff), DWU (Dairy workers), Finsec(Finance industry), NZEI (primaryteachers), NDU (Distribution workers),EPMU (Engineers, Printing and Manu-facturing workers), NZNO (Nurses),PSA (Public sector), CLAW (Clothingand laundry union), Rail and Maritime

Transport Union (RMTU) and theMaritime Union attended.

Cabotage

Discussion groups of respectiveunions were formed to identify issues intheir workplace.

The Maritime Union joined withfellow sisters from the RMTU toidentify three hot topics.

These were lack of education in the

workplace and unions, absence of awomen’s structure and Cabotage on theNew Zealand coast.

Rachel Goddard spoke on theCabotage issue on behalf of the Mari-time Union.

The conference learned of the poorconditions third world crews experienceand how different nationalities are usedto create divisions.

It was pointed out that the MaritimeUnion provides voluntary inspectors forFlag of Convenience ships through theITF.

The work of the ITF helpsdefenceless workers who have beenabused and underpaid.

Legislation in the form of the JonesAct ensures cabotage on the coast of theUSA among other countries.

Other countries shipping lines havethe right to exploit Third World labouron the New Zealand coast, but NewZealand workers don’t have the right towork on theirs.

ACTU

Guest speaker ACTU PresidentSharan Burrow discussed the strategiesrequired to reduce inequality in theworkplace and economy.

Women are likely to be disadvan-taged in the labour market by the effectsof globalization, discrimination,violence, casualization and low pay.

Sharan spoke of a possible programin Australia for women with either 20%extra for childcare or 15% for each child.

Youth Union Movement (YUM)

Tali Williams addressed the confer-ence on behalf of YUM (Youth UnionMovement.)

She spoke of the disadvantagesyoung workers face in the workforcewhen well over a quarter of the NewZealand workforce is now casualized inthe so-called ‘flexible’ labour market.

Despite employment growth, manyof these new jobs are low-wage, casualand part-time positions – particularlyin the service sector, where many youngpeople work.

Casualized or temping agency styleworkplaces, health and safety, wages,conditions and security of employment

are all under attack.Today’s young workers have never

known some of the conditions that usedto be considered as standard, such asthe forty-hour week and penal rates forweekend work.

Tali spoke of the current legislationthat permits a extremely low minimumwage for young workers, and of theemployment agreements that containage based scales of pay for carrying outthe same work.

July sees YUM camps, trainingworkshops for young union leaders inAuckland and the current recruitmentcampaign in Wellington underway.

Activities to date have includedtrainee organizers encouraging youngworkers into unions, producing basicrights pamphlets and secondary schoolresources, and the training of youngpeople to be active in their own unions.

The CTU will also be holding‘Organizing young workers’ work-shops.

The changing face of the Union:

15

Prime Ministers’ speech

Prime Minister Helen Clark spoke tothe Conference about how the Govern-ment plans to change laws that affectworking women by regulating theprevious deregulated system.

Changes included the EmploymentRelations Act review, the Holidays Act,pay equity and protections for vulner-able workers.

The Prime Minister talked of stressfor women workers in factories.

She commented on the outdatedHoliday’s legislation, and new plans toseparate bereavement leave from sickand domestic leave.

The Prime Minister didn’t see fourweeks leave occurring in this termbecause of the Government plan totackle the issue gradually as she feltover regulating would ‘cause animbalance.’

The Prime Minister said “unions arean essential part of democracy” anddescribed her view of “evolutionaryrather than revolutionary.”

Clark did not see compulsory union-ism as an option, instead promotingimproving legal rights and employmentequity, requiring a longer plan of action.

Women’s Task Force

A Women’s task force will be chairedby retirement commissioner DianaCrossan. Members will be chief execu-tives (or their nominees), of the Depart-ment of Labour, the Ministry ofWomen’s Affairs and the State ServicesCommission with three nominees fromthe CTU.

Pacific Women

Komiti Pasifika spoke on issuesfacing Pacific women in the workforce.

Workshops followed with topicsincluding well-being for PasifikaWomen, Tautoko Wahine Maori,Casualization, Health and Safety,Globalization and Peace, as well asWork/Life issues including Hours ofWork and Pay Equity.

Finsec

A panel of women workers armedwith case studies from delegates spokeon successes and challenges of theFinsec TSB campaign.

Sue Boraston says the ASB and TSBare the only non-union banks.

Members asked questions from thefloor on how they could contribute tothe campaign.

Delegates were asked to talk to theirbank operators and find out if theywere Finsec members.

If the bank operator was not a Finsecmember to then ask to talk to a Finsecmember instead.

If the bank operator was a unionmember, delegates were asked tocongratulate them on being a unionmember and to indicate that they toowere a union member.

Sky City Casino

Audrey Mei from the ServiceWorkers Union at Sky City Casinospoke on their campaign to have theright to work in a smoke free environ-ment, and other issues facing themembers working there.

PSA and Nurses Organization

The PSA’s Pay and EmploymentEquity Agenda and the Nurses’ Organi-zation remuneration strategy were alsodiscussed.

Announcements

It was announced Women’s Councilrepresentative Sue Shone of the PPTAwould be leaving with Carol Beaumontelected to the position of CTU secretaryformerly held by Paul Goulter.

Day 1 ended with drinks, food and‘Choir Choir Pants on Fire’ who per-formed at NZEI House.

Day 2

Day 2 included “Get A Life” work-shops and a speech by the Minister ofWomen’s Affairs Ruth Dyson.

The majority of the Maritimemembers took part in the “Get a Life”workshops with members discussingwork/life issues, casualization and jobsecurity.

The workshops were informativeand educational resulting in collectiveremits.

The Maritime Union put forwardtwo remits to the conference:1. Supporting education of Women,Maori and youth

2. For the CTU and affiliates to supportthe Maritime Union in the struggle forCabotage.

Both remits were carried.It was the first year the women’s

conference has had the right to putforward remits or statements for votingat the full CTU conference in October.

Pay Equity, Paid Parental Leave, Healthand Safety

The Minister of Women’s AffairsRuth Dyson spoke on the implementa-tion of the government’s agenda on payequity, paid parental leave, and healthand safety.

She discussed the idea that themarket should determine pay rates, andthe under valuing of women in theworkforce and society.

The conference ended and thanksgoes to the Maritime Union stopworkmeeting members for electing thewomen to attend the conference.

The union would also like to thankWellington Seafarer members MarinaJohnson, Colleen Lewis, Sa Baker, FleurBishara, Julie Raroa and AucklandSeafarer Heidi Mills for their activeparticipation.

Another article fromAuckland delegate HeidiMills is printed in theAuckland Seafarers PortRoundup on page 20.

Report by Wellington Seafarer Rachael GoddardWomen’s Conference Report

16On the road with the

Fighting for New Fighting for New

On theCampaign TrailJoe Fleetwood 0296 reports

Well, comrades, we’re still on thecampaign trail over 9 years since theintroduction of section 198 of the Mari-time Transport Act.

Since that time we have seen thedecimation of New Zealand coastal anddeep sea shipping.

The Seafarers’ Union Committee ofManagement met late May 2003 with theCabotage campaign high on the agenda.

It was decided a rank and file assaulton the Government should take place andI received the honour of coordinating thiscampaign – giving me a chance to giveback to a union and industry that has beenvery good to me and friends.

We all know what we owe to eachother but some choose to forget from timeto time, something I believe the ‘oldtimers’ of the Union never forgot.

It is because of their work we have hada good run for so long.

We need to keep the pressure up – weare struggle based union and that is whatmakes the Maritime Union what it is.

The initial pressure for the campaignwas to produce a pamphlet and postersthat were easy to understand and hardhitting.

Judging by the feedback from membersand the public we seem to be on track.

The Government needs to see and feelthe pressure felt by workers and families.

I feel we were received well by MP’s,so let’s hope they do the right thing forNew Zealand workers.

Unless the Government condemn theexploitation of cheap foreign labour, theyare going along with the unspeakableactions committed by global corporates.

All of this in the name of profits earnedat the expense of human lives, which havelittle value to these people.

We set times to lobby MP’s, and thecampaign was opened in Wellington byWellington Secretary Mike Williams andGeneral Secretary Trevor Hanson.

Marion Hobbs MP was first cab off therank, she was very positive and the first togive a commitment to help the workers.

The campaign hit the road on July 6 inthe newly purchased union van.

We were in Auckland for eight dayscanvassing cabinet ministers and MP’s

(any missed have since been ‘cleaned up’by the Auckland Branch.)

I spoke to stopwork meetings and wasreceived with true union comradeship.

Auckland’s North Shore was our firstvisit with a dozen members turning up tocanvass the main shopping malls.

We moved into Auckland city onMonday 7 July.

Tuesday saw members canvassing atMangere and Otara Malls where we set upan information centre table with postersand gave speeches to the public.

Hundreds of pamphlets were filled outand posted.

We left for Tauranga on Tuesday night,and on Wednesday continued talking tothe public, filling in pamphlets andposting off the completed slips to MPs.

We headed to Hamilton on Wednesdaynight, and on Thursday membersletterboxed about 3500 pamphlets.

Thursday night we moved ontoWanganui where we met ex memberHarry Clark and his wife Wendy whokindly put us up for the night.

We finished with a letter box drop andreturned to Wellington on Friday night, ajob well done by all union members.

18 000 pamphlets were distributed inthe North Island in a week, with goodpublic awareness and interest.

We are off to the South Island next andcan no doubt expect similar assistance andgoodwill from members.

There has been a large number ofmembers working very hard behind thescenes which has made my job a lot easier.

You know who you are so many thanksto you all comrades.

Keep up the great work (you all makeup for the non active lazy members whohave a lot to say but that’s where it stops!)

To all of the ports, thanks for pushinghard and campaigning with passion.

Thanks to the ITF for being active inthe campaign, and to the MUA forstrategies which have strengthened theTasman Maritime Federation.

To Local 13, thanks comrades for thehelp and hospitality given.

To Gary and the Auckland seafarermembers – it’s great to see the fight is stillvery much alive in us all – keep up thegood work comrades.

Many thanks to Harry Clark andfamily for the help we received, you onlyget support like that from true unionist.

Many thanks to the trade unionmovement and solidarity shown by allworkers. Kia Kaha. Touch one Touch all.

17

Putting the NewZealand flagback in coastalshippingIt is widely recognized domestic shippingbetween New Zealand ports is a vital partof our national transport system.

The recent Shipping Industry Reviewand the Government’s Transport Strategyboth recognize the importance of shippingto New Zealand as a trading nation.

Unfortunately, there is one ‘flag’ missingfrom New Zealand coastal shipping atpresent – the New Zealand one.

Until 1994, shipping between NewZealand ports was done by New Zealandcrews working on New Zealand ships, asystem known internationally as cabotage.

Since that time, New Zealand coastalshipping has been ‘opened up’ to foreignoperators who now carry out most domes-tic shipping in New Zealand waters.

This has led to a bizarre situation,where we have watched our own shippingindustry dwindle away to a fraction of itsonce proud state.

Our coastal routes are now worked byflag of convenience ships, owned in onecountry, registered in another, crewed byThird World seafarers who are paid andtreated abysmally.

Imagine if our airplanes or trucks werecrewed by exploited foreign workers,working on substandard vehicles thatoperated outside New Zealand laws andsafety regulations.

People wouldn’t stand for it – yet thisis exactly what has happened to coastalshipping in New Zealand.

The only thing being levelled on thisplaying field is New Zealand jobs andNew Zealand industry.

There is only one sensible solution tothe current botch up.

That is the reinstatement of coastalcabotage by ensuring in law that NewZealand crewed and operated ships aregiven priority for domestic shipping.

The removal of cabotage was moti-vated by the thoroughly discredited freemarket dogma of the 1990s.

Of course, all our major tradingpartners have maintained their ownsystems of cabotage.

The United States, Japan and theEuropean Union all reserve coastal tradefor their domestic fleets, or fleets ofmember nations.

New Zealand, by contrast, is at risk ofbecoming a country where we have fewtrained seafarers left in a job.

How can this be in a country that isentirely dependant on shipping as ourtrading link to the rest of the world?

We need to maintain jobs and skills inthis vital industry, rather than hand it overto rogue outfits who are essentiallyimporting cheap labour.

The benefits to the economy from thereinstatement of cabotage are many.

It supports New Zealand business, andas such should be a cornerstone of anyeconomic development policy.

Another overlooked fact is that NewZealand is increasingly insecure in anunstable global situation.

The Government has to pour millionsof dollars into ensuring port security.

The simple fact is domestic carriersmean less exposure to terrorism.

A number of flag of convenience shipshave recently been seized by authoritiesaround the world for suspected involve-ment in terrorist activity.

Using domestic carriers will also meanless exposure to biosecurity hazards likenoxious insect or animal pests escapingand causing havoc in our agricultural andhorticultural industries.

The Government noted in its recentTransport Strategy that New Zealandexports have increased by 25 percent involume between 1993 and 2001 – and 99per cent of imports and exports by volumeare moved by sea.

The Maritime Union commend theTransport Strategy goals of providing anaffordable, safe, integrated and sustainabletransport system by 2010.

Yet unless a viable New Zealandshipping industry is a central part of thestrategy, these goals will remain theoryrather than practice.

We need to support New Zealandworkers, and New Zealand shippingcompanies, who have a long-term commit-ment to the New Zealand economy, to ourmerchant fleet, and to protecting ourenvironment and biosecurity.

New Zealand’s domestic shippingshould be worked by our own merchantfleet.

Let’s get our flag back in coastalshipping – cabotage is the answer.

e Cabotage Campaign

Zealand ShippingZealand Shipping

18

Staunch SouthStaunch SouthNew Zealand’s southernmost porthas been the site of double action bylocal workers in the past few weeks.

Around thirty Bluff waterfrontworkers, local townspeople andsupporters from as far north as PortChalmers picketed the log boat‘Northern Light’ on Saturday 19 Julyat Southport in Bluff.

The ‘Northern Light’ was beingworked by Mainland Stevedoring andtheir bussed in employees.

Work on the ship was delayed asMainland employees arrived underheavy police escort at around 5.20pm.

They were taken past hiding in alarge container box on a truck.

The local workers maintained aloud and disciplined picket.

They spent several hours waitingin a cool Southern breeze but theirspirits were not dampened.

The heart of the issue is aboutdecent wages, working conditions anda sustainable industry, all of which are

being put under threat by rogueoperators such as Mainland.

The picket came at the same timeas members of the other waterfrontunion the Rail and Maritime TransportUnion (RMTU) picketed Southport insupport of a pay rise for their casualmembers at Southport.

Members of both Unions sup-ported each others pickets in theunprecedented double industrialaction in New Zealand’s southernmostport.

“Mainland thought they couldintroduce their divide and rule tacticsin the Deep South, but weren’t expect-ing the continued resistance to theirmethods,” says Maritime UnionGeneral Secretary Trevor Hanson.

Maritime Union Bluff BranchSecretary Ray Fife says local unionmembers know they are defendinglocal jobs and the local economy.

In an interview with the SouthlandTimes, he said Mainland had prom-ised to create permanent jobs in portsit had come to, but had not kept itsword.

Mr Fife says they will continueresisting Mainland “as long as ittakes” in order to defend local jobsand conditions.

“We don’t like how Mainland treatworkers, the way they do work andhow they impact on local communi-ties.”

“If Mainland become establishedhere, we know what the effect will beon Bluff workers and the localeconomy, and we are not going to letthat happen.”

Maritime Union members hadspent the last couple of days support-

ing a RMTU picket because localcasuals in that union had not receiveda pay rise in twelve years and were on$9.90 an hour.

Maritime Union members join the previousdays RMTU picket of Southport (the train inthe background is specially parked to provide awindbreak!)

Mainland Stevedoring display their slogan“Excellence through Innovation” which shouldread “We hide in a box wherever we go.”

The Mainland Fan Club: wherever Mainland go,they are given an official escort, paid for bythe local communities whose livelihoods theythreaten.

19

International NewsILWU Conventionvotes to get Bush outBy Steve Stallone, The Dispatcher

Spurred on by the dire circumstancesfacing the union and the country,delegates to the 2003 Convention ofthe International Longshore andWarehousemen’s Union (ILWU) set aclear agenda for the next three years.

At the San Francisco gathering onApril 28 - May 2, priorities weredumping Bush in 2004, opposing hiswar on and occupation of Iraq,pushing for universal healthcare andcontinuing the union’s organisingprogramme.

The opening session of the Con-vention on Monday morning eruptedin a spontaneous chorus of Bushbashing that would continue through-out the week.

ILWU International President JimSpinosa says “the single biggestchallenge ahead for the ILWU and theentire American labor movement isdefeating Bush and the right-wing,anti-worker members of Congress inthe 2004 elections.”

“Things are bad now, but if we failin 2004, the labor movement will facea real nightmare—a second-term Bushwho can slash and burn workerswithout ever having to worry aboutanother election.”

Delegates passed a resolutioncommitting all the union’s locals topolitical action to defeat Bush andelect pro-worker candidates in 2004.

Spinosa emphasized the need foraccess to health care and how risingmedical costs have made keepingbenefits an issue in all ILWU contracts.

The only real solution, he said, is anational, single-payer healthcareprogram.

Guest speaker the Reverend JesseJackson told delegates “workers areunder attack by this administration.”

“If ever there were a time for amassive march on Washington byworkers for jobs, income or healthcare, it is now.”

Workers, stand up and fight back.”

Anti self handlinggroundswell grows

European shipowners and bureau-crats face a campaign of resistance ifthey press ahead with moves toencourage cargo self handling.

ITF Dockers’ Secretary KeesMarges announced an intensifiedcampaign at the annual convention ofthe International Longshoremen’sAssociation (ILA) in Puerto Rico.

Maritime unions around the worldhave agreed to take action tostrengthen their opposition to anythreat to waterfront work.

More than 20,000 port workers inEurope went on strike earlier this yearin protest at the EU’s planned liberal-ization of European ports.

“The unrest in January was only awarm up for our campaign against thedestruction of secure employment inthe docks,” says Mr Marges.

“We have brought forward astrategy to mobilize 400,000 portworkers.”

The action was approved by theITF’s affiliated waterfront unions inLondon in July.

Unions are angered by what theysee as encroachment on dock work byself handling on ships, for example bysecuring and unsecuring containers,and by cargo owners using untrainedcasual labour inside port terminals.

Demonstrations against legalthreats to dock work will be matchedby campaign action in ports and thetargeting of shipping companies.

The ITF is alerting its worldwideforce of inspectors to ensure agree-ments preventing cargo handling onboard ship are being observed.

Delegates to the Dockers Sectionmeeting heard that charterers wereattempting to bypass agreements bymaking cash payments to seafarers forsecuring cargo on entering andleaving port.

Mr Marges says dockers’ unionsare preparing for a long battle againstself handling on board and in termi-nals, particularly if the EuropeanUnion allows cargo owners to recruitnon-union, unskilled and casuallabour for dock work.

The Invasion of Iraq& Crony Capitalism

Bush now controls Iraqi oil revenueand the key port while championinga criminal, Ahmed Chalabi, as theUSA’s man in Baghdad.

Chalabi has a string of convictionsfor multi million dollar frauds.

He has now been on the US payrollfor a decade pocketing some $60million from the CIA and more fromthe Pentagon. (See “The Thief ofBaghdad,” Sydney Morning Herald,May 10).

Meanwhile, Vice President DickCheney, former chief executive ofHalliburton oil company is busyrebuilding Iraq’s oil industry.

The UK Guardian reports thatHalliburton has admitted one of itssubsidiaries paid millions in bribes toa Nigerian official for tax breaks.

And another subsidiary, KelloggBrown and Root (KBR), has a broadrole in the Iraqi oil industry.

The company is now involved inthe operation and distribution of oilproducts in Iraq.

The US Government aid agencybroke its own rules to award USterminal operator Stevedoring Ser-vices of America (SSA) a US $4.8million contract to rebuild the Iraqiport of Umm Qasr over internationalcompetitors, say news agency reports.

The anti-union firm has clashedwith workers in three continents.

Fairplay shipping magazine saysthe requirement for security clearancewas dropped to give SSA the contract.

“The news comes as charges ofcrony capitalism circulate worldwideabout how the US is handling themulti-billion dollar reconstructioncontracts, especially in the maritimeindustry,” Fairplay reports.

20

Auckland MayDay 2003

The AucklandMay Day Committee

decided to celebrate May Day onThursday 1 May, despite some groupswishing for activities to be held thefollowing Saturday.

Unions and groups assembled atthe bottom of Queen Street at 5pmarmed with union banners etc.

An open mic operated from 5 –5.30pm with various speakers talkingon working class issues.

At 5.30pm the march commencedup Queen St. to Aotea Square.

On arrival at Aotea Square, theChairman of the May Day Committee,Garry Parsloe called together the rallyand introduced the speakers.

The first speaker was Grant Duffy,Secretary of the Auckland CTU localAffiliates Council followed by DaphnaWhitmore, representing the Anti-Capitalist Alliance.

Whisky Hastie, Senior ProductionDelegate, Kinleith Mill, and MikeTreen, Auckland Branch Global Peaceand Justice also spoke.

After the speeches the Chairman ofthe May Day Committee put the MayDay resolution:

“That this meeting calls for an endto the occupation of Iraq – Troops outnow!

We pledge our support for thestriking Kinleith workers, and we callon workers in New Zealand to rebuildthe trade union movement to be therequired effective fighting force tocombat the anti-union attacks of thenational and international corporatesand their politicians”.

The resolution was carried with ashow of hands and a loud cheer.

After the rally a function was heldat the Auckland Trade Union Centre inGreat North Road.

May Day falls on a Saturday in2004 and planning is already under-way by the May Day Committee.

Port Roundup:Auckland Seafarers

by Garry Parsloe

by Heidi Mills

I recently attended the Women’sConference in Wellington as adelegate for the Maritime Union ofNew Zealand and as a representativeof Fuller’s Auckland.

Five other women membersincluding seafarer member RachaelGoddard also attended the conference(see Rachel’s report on page 14).

Conference speakers includedAustralian Council of Trade UnionsPresident Sharan Burrow and PrimeMinister Helen Clark.

Sharon Burrow spoke on strategiesto reduce disparities in the workplaceand economy from an internationalperspective.

Prime Minister Helen Clark gavean overview of the Government’splans to change the laws and policiesaffecting working women.

These issues included the Employ-ment Relations Act review, TheHolidays Act, pay equity and protec-tion for vulnerable workers.

Other issues discussed were howmany companies have not developedspecific policies relating to the em-ployment of women.

(See the Global EmploymentPolicies and Practices published by theInternational Labour Organization).

A healthier and safer workingenvironment, where women wereinvolved, and where companies wereaccountable was also discussed.

Rachael Goddard put forward aremit on Cabotage, focussing on theenvironment and job security for NewZealanders.

The remit was unanimously passedby delegates.

The opportunity for women to putremits forward to the CTU conferencewas a milestone.

All remits will now go forward tothe next CTU Conference.

Womens Conference a milestone

for New Zealand unions

Rachael Goddard checks out the handiwork ofthe Cabotage campaign team.

21

Port News

Port Roundup:

New PlymouthPort Roundup:

Mt. Maunganuiby Shane Parker

The branch is goingthrough its usualquiet time for thistime of year as thedairy season has

slowed and the farmers have stoppedputting on fertilizer, probably savingup for their fart tax.

This has allowed some of ourmembers to travel out of port for thefirst time in a long time.

It’s good to get around other portsand see what’s going on.

At our recent stop work meetingwe had a visit from Susan Leucharsfrom the Super Fund which wastimely what with the recent perfor-mance of the fund.

She was lucky to be able to informthe members of a improved perfor-mance since the end of the financialyear.

The first meeting of the local portfacility security committee was heldand was attended by a large section oflocal and national industry representa-tives including Dave Morgan from theMaritime Union head office.

A local committee was set upwhich includes representatives fromMaritime Union and the RMTU.

Graham Roberts has recentlystood down as President of the localbranch, and his replacement for theposition will be decided at the upcom-ing AGM.

by Phil Spanswick

We recently settledthe Balance Agri-Nutrients, P & OPorts, Owens andOrica Collective

Agreements and are in negotiationswith Tolls and Quality Marshallingfor the renewal of their CollectiveAgreements.

The ACC/CTU Health and SafetySeminar was held on 8 and 9 July andtwelve of our health and safetydelegates attended.

The Cabotage Campaign hitTauranga on July 9.

A large number of pamphlets werehanded out to a positive response.

The local Port Security meetingwas held on July 11 with both MUNZand the Rail and Maritime Unionrepresented.

In the May issue of the Maritimes,specifically the Auckland Seafarerscolumn, Wayne Butson of the Rail andMaritime Union says he hopes toincrease that union’s membership inTauranga.

Does that mean the RMTU will beembarking on a poaching campaign?

On the P & O Ports collective agreement negotiations team, from left to right, Paul Sellers, NeilChapman, Phil Spanswick, Peter Winiata, Andrew Cooper, and Moro Peters. The collectiveagreement was ratified on Tuesday 15 July.

Delegates at the Mt Maunganui Tauranga branch training seminar on 5 June, 2003. From left,Nick Bischoff, Sam Nepiate, Gavin Cooper, Selwyn Russell, Dennis Kemp and Brian Harrington.

22

Port News

Auckland branch Local 13 delegates at their recent health and safety training seminar, from leftJoe Tairua (Leonard & Dingley), Brett Haldane (Auckland Stevedores), Graham McKean (AxisFergusson), George Pou (Axis Bledisloe) & Jacki Dickinson (Road Office Port Company.)(photo: Bob Stephenson)

Port Roundup:

Napierby Bill Connelly

Around and about

The port isreasonably busy atthe moment, even

though the fruit and squash, which areHawkes Bay’s major seasonal exports,are coming to a close.

The Port of Napier is in the processof the demolition of Number 2 Shed.

It is understood this is to createadded space for the expected increasein container traffic through the port.

Ohope Beach Accommodation inNew Zealand

Members should be aware that theholiday accommodation at OhopeBeach is now at a premium, because ofthe sale of the front two units.

The Union still owns unit number3 and bookings can be made throughthe Napier Branch, by contacting theSecretary either at the Union Office,his home or on his mobile telephonenumber (see page 31 for contacts.)

Gold Coast Accommodation inAustralia

This is proving to be a mostpopular destination for all membersthroughout the country.

Please note that the confirmationperiod for bookings is now sixmonths, which means that membersaround New Zealand can now booksix months in advance.

Due to our recent inclementweather bookings have been heavy.

It seems everyone want to escapeto the warmer climate of the GoldCoast.

Demand means we do not haveany vacancies until 21 February 2004.

Code of Practice for Health andSafety in Port Operations

This was the question I asked inthe last issue of the Maritimes.

With the introduction of thechanges to the Health & Safety inEmployment Act soon to become lawone has to ask the question what everhappened to the August 2000 finaldraft on the “Code of Practice forHealth & Safety in Port Operations?“

It is widely known that the Unionwas the main advocate of this pro-posed piece of legislation becoming alegally binding document and hasbeen since the initial meeting in Juneof 1996.

The General Secretary and I havecontacted the interested parties fromOSH and the MSA to try and get thisback on the table for discussion.

As most of you are aware the onlytwo points holding up further discus-sion and implementation was “Stressand Fatigue and the Hours of Work”.

This is now covered under thechanges to the Health and Safety inEmployment Act.

My own personal opinion is thesooner we have some form of legisla-tion in place to cover the old GeneralHarbour Regulations 1968, which Imight add expired on the 31 March2003 along with other outdatedlegislation covered under the oldHarbours Act 1950, the better.

The current Guidelines for Healthand Safety in Port Operations beingdisplayed on the web are dated 1997,whereas the final draft dated August2000 is much more comprehensiveand worker friendly.

Port Roundup:

Gisborneby Dein Ferris

If it was any quieterup here, we’d be at astandstill.

There have onlybeen a couple of

ships in the last month and it appearsthe bottom has fallen out of the logtrade.

Trevor and I attended the PortSecurities meeting on June 30 whichwas worthwhile.

I am on the committee so will beable to present our point of view.

We met with a few of the membersafter the meeting and they expressedtheir views to Trev.

We managed to get Trevor on aplane by 7.00am – we do have goodweather aye Trev?

The Gisborne branch executive isas follows:President: Ian CrokerSecretary : Dein FerrisExecutive :Rex O’ConnellJames HarveyRubin AndersonMalcolm Deans

23

Port News

Port Roundup:Wellington Waterfront

by John Whiting

Ted Thompson

We mark thepassing of ourdeeply respectedLife Member, Ted

Thompson with sadness but also withgratitude for his life of service.

Ted’s contribution to the lives of allwatersiders from the 1950’s through tothe present day should never beforgotten.

His energy, commitment, industrialand political acumen, and his acutesense of the achievable have left us alegacy that includes the containeragreements – the base of today’s termsand conditions, the sound organiza-tional and financial structure of ourUnion, and the Waterfront Superan-nuation Fund.

Vale, Ted.He continued his interest in our

struggles and always volunteered hiswise counsel right up to the mostrecent months.

Port company negotiations

These negotiations are into heavyweather with a 48 hour strike defi-nitely on as the Maritimes goes toprint.

The main problem is the sale of thePort Company’s stevedoring subsid-iary to new owners IndependentStevedoring of Mt. Maunganui incombination with Tasman Orient Line.

We believe this is effectively sellingour jobs.

It is evident from Centreport’s lateclaims to change starting and notifica-tion times, and smoko arrangements,that the new structure will involvefurther downgrading of work condi-tions.

Our members are strongly opposedto any further worsening of theCollective Employment Agreementand we are determined to fight for apositive outcome.

Delegate Training

We recently held our first delegatetraining seminar.

A group of young members fromour Waterfront Branch and the localSeafarers Branch attended and ben-efited from the course.

This type of training is essential forour members to defend themselvesand progress into the future.

There will be follow-up seminarsin the next few months.

Many thanks to Chris McDonaldand Craig Harrison for running thiscourse.

Crane pain: a ships crane at Centreport inWellington snapped and fell in July. No-onewas injured but the consequences could havebeen far worse.(Photos courtesy of Todd Valster of the RMTU.)

Crew change, Ocean Bounty style: the helicopter is a SuperPuma, carrying 16 in comfort.(photo by Bob Thorpe)

Graham Roberts (New Plymouth), Mike Williams (Wellington Seafarers) and Brian Callaghan(Nelson) at the Maritime Union Joint Council Meeting in June. Graham has recently resigned asNew Plymouth Branch President.

24

Port News

Port Roundup:

Lytteltonby Les Wells

The Police Inquiryinto ChristineClarke’s death basedon complaintsreceived by Derek

Powell was released recently.It seems that some of his com-

plaints were upheld - so what - he wasstill the bastard behind the wheel.

As reported last edition Pacificahas lost a ship, and there is more andmore pressure being put on the men tomake changes to the rosters.

We continue to battle on with theother three companies dealing withthe everyday pressures put on theworkforce with reduced manning.

Port Roundup:

Timaruby Kevin Forde

The Timaru branchhad our AGMrecently.

The Branchexecutive comprises

Kevin Forde (President) and TonyTownsend (Secretary), with theexecutive members Graham Wallace,Greg Murphy, Wayne Hanson andPeter O’Driscoll.

The Maritime Safety Authorityheld their port security meeting onJuly 22 which myself and TrevorHanson attended, even though itappeared they didn’t want us in-volved.

I was proud to be made a lifemember of the Union at the lastnational meeting.

On June 12 the branch picketed thecement ship Nan Chang Hai.

A local cement loading contractwas given to Mainland Stevedoringand their out of town employees.

Local union members will continueto defend local jobs and the localeconomy.

Recently sighted in the port of Lyttelton by akeen eyed photographer.

‘Doom’ of Bluff unloading urea.(photo by ‘Harry’ Holland)

Gilly Holland loading scrap onto the FlaconTiger. (photo by ‘Harry’ Holland)

Port Roundup:

NelsonBy Brian Callaghan

Stevedoring Ser-vices manager JohnMoore recentlymoved north toTauranga and the

staff wish him well in his newventure.

The new manager Steve Bell isfrom Tauranga and is currentlycommuting between two ports.

A busy fruit season has just fin-ished.

The hoki season is underway but itis not expected to be as busy this yearas quota have been reduced.

Log trade is continuing and is stilla major export from Nelson with fiveships calling into the port in June.

Port security has been stepped uprecently and various meetings held,however no representatives from theMaritime Union were in attendance.

At the June National Council Meeting (from left) Joint National President Les Wells, PortChalmers Branch President Dave Dick, Assistant General Secretary Terry Ryan and Mt MaunganuiTauranga Secretary Phil Spanswick.

25

Port News

Port Roundup:

BluffBy Ray Fife

It has been unevent-ful in the deep southlately as shippinghas tapered off atthe moment.

The downturn is probably due tothe high NZ dollar and the SARSoutbreak.

Biosecurity

Recently we had a spider incidenton the vessel MSC New Plymouthwhile it was in port.

A very observant casual stevedorefound dead red back spiders onboard.

All members walked off the shipand would not return until MAFcarried out a thorough search.

Subsequently live red back spiderswere found and the ship was fumi-gated before the resumption of work.

The National Executive policy of“find it, report it” has paid off itseems.

Members are now more aware andare being more observant whenworking aboard vessels.

by Phil Mansor

The establishmentof Local 21, theStores and Ware-house branch of theMaritime Union, has

been a long time coming.There had been conflict between

the two unions (Stores andWatersiders) around the start ofcontainerization in the early 1970’s.

This led to the Stores Unionleaving the then Federation of Labour(FOL) as we felt decisions had beenstacked against us.

However the problems between usand the watersiders were workedthrough, and the two unions beganworking together.

I first discussed the proposal offorming an alliance between the StoresUnion and the Watersiders withformer Watersiders Secretary SamJennings in the early 1980s.

The idea was to set up a similarsystem as used by the ILWU on theWest coast of the United States.

After meetings with members atthat time, we came into the Watersideoffice and the Watersiders GeneralSecretary became our General Secre-tary as well.

During the mid-eighties, transportand maritime workers came togetherin a federation after concerns aboutthe formation of the CTU from theFOL and public sector unions.

Over the late eighties and nineties,other events including the IndustrialRelations Act and the EmploymentContracts Act had a major impact onthe way we functioned.

The introduction of the Employ-ment Relations Act in August 2000was the last major change.

Apart from the collective bargain-ing and good faith requirements, thereis not too much joy in it for Unions.

I am of the firm opinion we need tofollow the pattern of the ILWU in theUSA and Canada.

The formation of Local 21, repre-senting stores workers, is a step in thisdirection.

The way forward is for MaritimeUnions to become more global in thesame way as big business.

Port Roundup:Local 21

Archie and Kevin of Bluff unloading fish from Pacinui(photo by ‘Harry’ Holland)

Superfund

Waterfront Super Fund DirectorSusan Leuchars addressed a good turnout of members on the present state ofthe fund, and gave her view of thelong term projection of the fund.

The meeting was very informativewith many questions asked andanswered in a positive manner.

We would like to again thankSusan for attending and hope thesemeetings will be on a more regularbasis.

Health and Safety

Ray Fife, Harry Holland, TerryOsborne and Paul Cross have beenelected as Health and Safety delegates.

A training workshop has yet to beorganized for down south, but thehandbook issued by National Officehas been made use of already inrecording incidents/accidents and dayto day safety issues.

It is good to see delegates take apositive attitude toward their addedresponsibilities.

Bluff picket see page 18

26

Port Roundup:

Port Chalmersby Phil Adams

With the winter wellupon us in thesouth, the busynature of our portcontinues to keep

members occupied, particularly inthe terminal.

Weekend work has become thenorm which although acceptable tothe employees is causing concernamongst those who continually turnup.

A roster system is being looked atwhich hopefully may allow for morepredictable time off, and a morecontented home life for members.

Highest number of TEUSfor year to date

The terminal has just turned over100,000 TEUS for the year.

This is the highest number ofcontainers the port has handled,which puts us in a good position forthe future, and augers well for theemployment of more young newentrants.

New tug

There is a new tug in the Port,much needed for the berthing of the4100 vessels.

It apparently has a higher bollardpull than Lyttelton’s Blackadder tug,another much needed victory over ourrivals further north.

Port Company News

The lads at Port Chalmers CargoServices have been reasonably busywith logs, containers, fish and fertil-izer.

Their boss, Ross Gibb, recentlymoved to the port company to take upthe role of Assistant Terminal Managerat Port Otago.

The new manager for members atPort Chalmers Cargo Services is RossBurket, formerly from Lyttelton.

Our first job with him will be toaddress issues that were agreed towith the previous manager.

One of the major issues to bediscussed is the casual rate.

The port company have agreed topay casuals overtime, which is be-lieved to be unique around ports inNew Zealand and should be aimed atby all ports.

The port company have openedwhat is seen to be an inland port.

We have put the company onnotice the Union hopes to representthose who work there and bring themunder our collective agreement.

Mainland

The Port Chalmers branch is stillvery vigilant in regard to companieslike Mainland.

The branch will be supportingfuture pickets by the Bluff branch tohalt Mainland’s attempts at establish-ing the company there.

Notification is the problem at themoment, but members are prepared totravel to help their comrades.

Both the Port Chalmers and Bluffbranches have written to the forestrycompany using Mainland in Bluff andare yet to receive a reply.

South Island Organizer

The Port Chalmers branch stillsupports the creation of this position.

However in the South Island it isquite a fragmented situation.

This is due to the fact not all portsuse their elected representatives fornegotiations and problems, andinstead port company unionism isbeing practiced.

It is the latter case that the branchnow views the South Islandorganizers’s job as ineffective.

Elected representatives has beenthe strongest attribute of the unionthroughout the years.

The South Island organizers’sposition would be justified if thesystem currently operating here waspracticed in each South Island port.

Here we have one person (PhilAdams) working for the port companyand involved in negotiations andissues for all companies in the port.

There is no problems with thisstructure, and as the National Presidentwould say, the members come first.

Ted Thompson

It was with great regret that wereceived news of the death of TedThompson.

Those who knew Ted found himtotally dedicated to the members heserved, and in his later years the PortChalmers branch used Ted in varioussituations in which he never hesitatedto help.

Ted served as National Secretaryduring the good old days and couldsee the struggles the union had inrecent times.

He congratulated the Union inadapting to the current industrialclimate that was totally foreign to him.

Ted could see the Union washolding its own and in some casesclawing back what had been lost, andkeeping the Union at the forefront ofunionism in New Zealand.

Our deepest sympathy to Ted’sfamily, he will be missed.

Racing with Nautilus Franco

Running a slashing second toqualify for the graduation final atForbury recently, Nautilus Franco ranlast in the final.

Nautilus Franco continues ourheartache of owing a racehorse, butrest assured she will be back in thenew season to agonize us all.

Former Waterfront National Secretary Bruce Malcolm, Dave Dick and Keith Currie at Port Otago.

27

Sheds

The branch now represents all whowork in the warehousing side of PortOtago.

Currently they are looking atmoving to a shift system whichalthough attractive may see the abilityto earn a reasonable wage threatened.

Members concerns were conveyedto the company by David Dick andmyself, and hopefully a meeting toaddress the issues will be held.

As a collective group is vitallyimportant at this time, we left themeeting assured the men were totallybehind the negotiators in our stance.

Holiday Unit

The holiday unit continues to befully utilized.

Its popularity extends to ports inthe North Island from where we havereceived inquiries.

It is now fully booked for the restof the year.

Enquiries to Ian Quarrell telephone03 472 7216 or Phil Adams 03 472 8052.

Local Elections

Elections for the positions ofofficials and Executive were recentlyheld with the following results:President: Dave DickVice President: Clive GilesSecretary: Phil AdamsExecutive: Noel Currie, Keith Currie,Ian Quarrell, Adam Law and WayneWelsh.Trustees: Keith Currie, Murray Gillon.

It was indeed heartening to see 10people contest the five executivepositions and although incumbentsprevailed, the calibre of those who

missed out will see their turn come inthe future.

This can only be good for thebranch.

It is also hoped to have a represen-tative from both warehousing andseafarers on the executive this year.

Amalgamation

The amalgamation has been goingsmoothly for the branch.

Seafarers are attending meetingsand given the opportunity at meetingsto raise matters, which they do.

Amalgamation with the RMTU stillseems light years away and the branchbelieves in getting one amalgamationout of the way before starting another.

Maritime Union Structure

With the first full Maritime Unionelections in October, those standingfor positions should now be consider-ing their options.

The new union needs dynamicleaders to see it into the future withconfidence.

The Union can make a differenceby sticking to union principles andusing the system instead of workingoutside the system.

The Joint Council meeting held inJune in Wellington included looking atthe structure and budget of the newunion.

Members left knowing the Union isin a sound position both financiallyand structurally.

Super Fund

The super fund seems to be comingback after a disastrous year.

Members continue to join, such as

the lads in the sheds who are convincedthe super scheme is the way to go.

Susan Leuchars, David Young andGeoff Plunkett recently addressed asuper fund meeting.

This went a long way to addressingconcerns and all who attended arequietly confident of the future of thescheme.

Member Stu Neill met with SusanLeuchars after the meeting to askadditional questions.

Branch reports for “Maritimes”

The opportunity to write a branchreport for the “Maritimes” should notbe underestimated as it is well re-ceived in the port and long may itcontinue.

With 2003 being the first year of theamalgamation the transition has beensmooth, and the amalgamation issomething that should have happenedyears ago.

The young members in the branchare interested in the Union’s affairs sothe future looks assured and I hopethis is happening in other portsaround the country.

Stu Neill of Port Chalmers asking the toughquestions to Waterfront Super Fund managerSusan Leuchars.

Maritime Union of New Zealand Port Chalmers Dunedin Branch Stopwork Meeting, June 2003

28

The Maritime Union 50th InterportSports 2004 Tournament is to be heldfrom the 9-12 February next year atGisborne.

All ports are cordially invited tocompete and all entries should be sentto the Auckland branch Local 13office, PO Box 2645, Auckland.

Due to heavy interest some eventsmay of necessity have a cut off im-posed at a future date.

Entry fees set by the Council ofSport in Lyttelton were set at $150 andmust accompany any entry registra-tion.

Sports competitions will be cateredfor in the following events: Golf,Fishing, and Indoor Sports (whichsees all contestants playing IndoorBowls, 8 Ball, Snooker, and Darts overthe 4 days of competition.)

Venues

Golf - Poverty Golf ClubFishing - in the Ariel reef, South RocksareaIndoor Sports - to be confirmed (eitherthe RSA or Cosmopolitan Club).

Contacts

Gisborne Co-ordinator:Dein Ferris (phone 025 649 9697)Golf: Arthur Peke (phone 09 274 5852)Fishing: Terry Ryan (ph. 09 303 4652)Indoor Sports: Sam Pene (ph. 09 2758260)

Entry fees

The Auckland local executive hasauthorized an account to be used forthe Interport entry fees and fund-raising activities.

Any cheques can therefore be madeout to the Auckland branch.

As per 3(d) of the MUNZ councilof sport constitution, the Secretary forthe tournament will be the Local 13Secretary.

All correspondence to PO Box2645, Auckland.

Any disputes over eligibility willbe determined by MUNZ JointNational Council.

Accommodation

The Waikanae Beach holiday parkat the beach end of Grey St. (phone 06867 5634) has Ranch house cabins (24two bed cabins), tourist units (16 withtwo bedrooms and TV) and DeluxeTourist flats with excellent modernfacilities.

This along with other motels in thearea are all within walking distance tothe venues.

Memorabilia

We are desperate for old interportmemorabilia, stories, photos,programmes etc. for the 50th annualevent programme.

Older material in particular isrequired.

Interport 2004 plansunder way

Spirit of Competition, Wellington Harbour, February 2003.

Union

ClothingThe Maritime Union of New Zealandis ordering Union clothing formembers that will be available fromthe National Office.

Thank you to those who wrote inon the inquiry form that was in thelast issue of the Maritimes.

This helped us plan what orderswe were going to make and we willget back to you all personally in thenext few weeks.

At this initial stage only t-shirts,polo shirts and ‘beanie’ hats will beavailable.

Once we have seen how this firstset goes we may extend our range ofitems.

The clothes will be made in NewZealand by unionized companies.

Once they are ready we will let youknow by posting the information onour website www.munz.org.nz andthere will be order forms in the nextedition of the Maritimes due out inNovember.

Clive Giles (left) and Dave Dick of PortChalmers branch enjoy a glass of Port Otagowine at the launch of the new tugboat‘Otago’. The $7 million vessel arrived in April.

29

Website has theanswers for healthand safety reps

The website for workplace healthand safety representatives is live.

http://www.worksafereps.org.nzis lively and interactive, featuring ahandy toolkit for health and safetyreps, information on trainingprogrammes and the latest news fromNew Zealand and overseas.

Website editor Nick Henry says thesite aims to support workplace repsand help anyone interested in lookingout for the heath and safety of theirworkmates.

There is a helpdesk with informa-tion about accidents, hazards, ACC,the Occupational Health and SafetyService, the law, and the role ofworkplace representatives.

If you can’t find what you arelooking for, the site allows visitors topost their own questions.

Visitors to the site can also addtheir own health and safety experi-ences in the “Sharing Solutions” openforum section.

Here, reps can discuss problemsaffecting their workplace and offerone another solutions; share successstories; discuss wider health andsafety issues; and talk about the issuesinvolved in being a workplace rep.

It’s also possible to subscribe to amonthly health and safety newsletter,and order resources such as t-shirts,posters and pamphlets.

There is information on the Coun-cil of Trade Unions’ campaign“Unions talking Health and Safety”which aims to train 10,000 workplacerepresentatives by the middle of nextyear.

Nick Henry says the website ismodeled on similar sites in othercountries, where they have success-fully supported the role of health andsafety representatives.

“It would be great if health andsafety reps – and any worker inter-

ested in health and safety – checkedout the site, contributed to the on-lineforum, and emailed me with any newsor suggestions,” he said.

“I’d also like to get case studies toput up in the campaign section, whichdescribe problems and how the repsfound solutions – workers’ stories arethe best way of showing how the newlaw is working.”

Nick Henry says the best part ofhis job is getting feedback on the site.

“I am looking forward to seeingthe site taking on a life of its ownthrough the participation of reps andother workers interested in health andsafety.”

Health & SafetyNews

The Role of theHealth & Safety Rep

The Act contains a set of functionsfor health and safety representativeslisted below.

The role of the rep should beincluded in your workplace's WorkerParticipation system.

You need to make sure the func-tions your worksite agrees to areappropriate for your own workplace.

That may mean agreeing with youremployer to a different set of functionsthan those set out in the Act.

Being an elected Health and SafetyRepresentative is a very importantrole.

It carries with it significant powers,but also the responsibility of repre-senting fellow workers in relation tohealth and safety issues.

What does the Act say about therole of reps?

The role of the health and safetyrep includes:• Fostering positive health and safetymanagement practices in the place ofwork• Identifying and bring to theemployer's attention hazards in theplace of work, and discussing with theemployer ways that the hazards may

be dealt with• Consulting with OSH inspectors onhealth and safety issues• Promoting the interests of workersin a health and safety context gener-ally and in particular those workerswho have been harmed at work,including in relation to arrangementsfor rehabilitation and return to work• Carrying out any functions con-ferred on the representative by:(a) a system of employee participation(if an agreed system)(b) or the employer (with the agree-ment of the health and safety rep orthe union representing the health andsafety rep), including any functionsreferred to in a Code of Practice.

Other Responsibilities

Hazard NoticesHealth and safety reps will be

trained to undertake the processleading up to and, if necessary servinga Hazard Notice on the employer.

Hazard notices can be issued by atrained health and safety rep using theform which can be downloaded fromthe website.

Advising Fellow Workers On Refusalof Unsafe Work

The Act places a significant respon-sibility on the health and safety rep inadvising fellow workers on refusal ofunsafe work.

If the health and safety rep advisesthe worker that the work is likely tocause serious harm then that amountsto reasonable grounds.

30

No need for a plumber: MUA member Chris Alexander of Newcastle on board the Ocean Bounty.(photo by Bob Thorpe)

WebwatchThe Maritime Union of New Zealandwebsite has been up for a couple ofmonths now and we have receivedlots of visits from members andinterested ‘browsers’.

You can check out our website atthe following address:

www.munz.org.nz

It has information about thecabotage campaign and news aboutUnion events, downloadable versionsof the Maritimes and the Union rules,as well as links to other interestingsites.

Some other good union sites can befound here:

CTU websitewww.union.org.nz

Health & Safety at work websitewww.worksafereps.org.nz

ILWU websitewww.ilwu.org

MUA websitewww.mua.org.au

ITF websitewww.itf.org.uk

Here are political websites ofinterest to workers:

Labour Partywww.labour.org.nz

Green Partywww.greens.org.nz

Alliance Partywww.alliance.org.nz

Progressive Partywww.progressive.org.nz

Socialist Workerhttp://au.geocities.com/swo_nz/

The New Zealand Governmentalso has a huge number of websiteswhich can be found by going to:

www.govt.nz

Seafarers at the national Maritime Union joint council meeting in June 2003, from left BrianForde, John Jefferies and Alan Windsor.

Delegates at the Maritime Union of New Zealand Joint National Council, June 2003

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Regional Contacts

WhangareiMobile: 021 855 121Fax: 09 4351 453Address: PO Box 397, WhangareiEmail:� danny.schick@munz.org.nz��Auckland (Seafarers)Phone: 09 3032 562 Fax: 09 3790 766Mobile: 021 326 261Address: PO Box 1840, AucklandEmail: garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Auckland (Local 13)Phone: 09 3034 652 Fax: 09 3096 851Mobile: 021 760 887Address: PO Box 2645, AucklandEmail: shona@munz.org.nz

Mount MaunganuiPhone:� 07 5755 668 Fax: 07 5759 043Mobile: 025 782 308Address: PO Box 5121, Mt. MaunganuiEmail: phil.spanswick@munz.org.nz

GisbornePhone: 06 8676 438�����Mobile: 025 6499 697Address: 23 Bloomfield Rd, RD1, GisborneEmail: dein.ferris@munz.org.nz

New PlymouthPhone: 06 7589 728 Fax: 06 7513 646Mobile: 0274 127 854Address: PO Box 659, New PlymouthEmail: shane.parker@munz.org.nz

NapierPhone/Fax: 06 8358 622Mobile: 025 2174 289Address: PO Box 70, NapierEmail: bill.connelly@munz.org.nz

Wellington (Seafarers)Phone: 04 3859 288 Fax: 04 3848 766Mobile: 021 481 242Address: PO Box 27004, WellingtonEmail: mike.williams@munz.org.nz

Wellington (Waterfront)Phone: 04 3859 288 Fax: 04 3848 766Address: PO Box 2773, WellingtonEmail: john.whiting@munz.org.nz

NelsonPhone/Fax: 03 5446 886Mobile: 025 844 148Address: PO Box 5016, Nelson �

LytteltonPhone: 03 3288 306 Fax: 03 3288 798Mobile: 0274 329 620Address: PO Box 29, LytteltonEmail: les.wells@munz.org.nz�TimaruPhone/Fax: 03 6843 364Mobile: 021 2991 091Address: PO Box 813, Timaru�Port Chalmers (Dunedin)Phone: 03 4728 052 Fax: 03 4727 492Mobile:� 027 437 7601Address: PO Box 44, Port ChalmersEmail: phil.adams@munz.org.nz

BluffPhone/Fax: 03 2128 189Mobile: 0274 475 317Address: PO Box 5, BluffEmail: ray.fife@munz.org.nz

LettersChallenge for the Union

During a recent visit to see MargaretWilson (Minister of Labour) as partof our cabotage campaign, seafarerswere able to inform her we were nowmembers of the Maritime Union ofNew Zealand.

This simple statement spokevolumes in terms of empowering us inour efforts to lobby her.

The new Union is bigger with amore diverse membership and occu-pies a strategic position within theMaritime industry.

Politicians and anyone else need totake more notice of bigger strongerunions and will find it harder toignore us.

However the challenge of the newunion in preserving and hopefullyexpanding our existing job base in afast changing world is immense.

The attainment of these goals willdepend to a large extent on the unityand commitment of the membershipto achieve them.

This comes down to a membershipwho identify with the new union andcomprehend what it’s about.

Everybody has got to come onboard.

The marriage of the two unions hastaken place but the courtship betweenWharfies and Seafarers will continuefor some time.

This process will occur naturally asthe union develops and we face thechallenges that lie ahead together.

The structure of the new union willalso have an effect on this process.

It seems we are all living under thesame roof but are for the most partseparated off in different rooms.

We must ensure that this type ofstructure does not create inefficienciesor hinder us in pursuing our collectivegoals.

There are now many well estab-lished and resourced non union andscab stevedores working on NewZealand wharves.

The numbers of New Zealandcrewed ships continues to decline.

We have as previous unions beenunable (despite all our efforts) tocounter these threats even with aLabour Government in power.

Why is this?Are we simply seen as groups of

self interested workers pushing ourown barrow?

We have got to be able to show theGovernment the direct benefits to thewhole country of having a NZ ship-ping industry and unionized wharves.

I am sure the new Union will be farmore effective in tackling these andother issues.

We will need to tap into every bitof talent the new Union has and whereneeded find new and innovative waysto fight.

Peter HarveyTauranga Seafarer

Glimmer of hope

Retired wharfies deal mostly innostalgia so it is pleasing to see aglimmer of hope in the amalgam-ation of the Maritime interests.

At this stage it is probably toomuch to think that the real value ofcollective bargaining is alive and wellacross the workers in the Maritimeindustries.

In these enlightened times it seemsto be left to the so called professionalsand academics to do that.

Those retired members and otherswho knew Ted Thompson will recallhis abilities not the least of which washis knack of making the hard deci-sions without fear or favour.

One always knew when he ad-dressed the multitude and includedthe work “however” the tumult andthe shouting died.

A resolution to fill the bill wasproduced that others thought theyhad engineered.

Let there be no moaning at the leannow that he’s put out to sea.

Lloyd JenkinTimaru

The Maritimes welcomes letters frommembers and former members, aswell as other interested individualsand groups.

Please mail to ‘The Maritimes’Magazine, Maritime Union of NewZealand, PO Box 27004, Wellington,New Zealand.

Fax 03 4736 975Email victor.billot@munz.org.nz

Colin Wilson and Mike Clark, two of ouroldest serving members aboard the OceanBounty (photo by Bob Thorpe)

Bluff workers picket Mainland, 19 July 2003

Smoko time: Joe Tairua, Glyn Davies and

Antony Brown at Auckland Delegate Training

(photo by Bob Stephenson)

Wellington members get to grips with delegate training

Maritime Union delegates at CTU womensconference, from left (standing) Heidi Mills,Rachael Goddard, (sitting) Marina Johnson,Colleen Lewis, Sa Baker

Common purpose: Auckland Health and Safety delegates