Ports of Auckland squanders public money on anti-worker advocate

25 January 2012

The Maritime Union of New Zealand has condemned the employment of Jon Mayson by Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) management during the current industrial dispute.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National President Garry Parsloe says the Port Company management must make public the cost of employing Mr Mayson and what his role will be.

"This management are very good at circulating lies about the income of port workers, but have never responded to a request to let us know how much they earn."

"So at least let us know how much money they are paying out for Mr Mayson to attack their own employees. After all, that money is being paid for by the people of Auckland to wreck their own port."

Mr Parsloe says a "top heavy" Ports of Auckland management were obviously incapable of managing, and despite their considerable salaries were throwing more public money towards outside fixers and a failing propaganda war against their own workers.

"POAL management are now engaged in a politicized attack on their own workforce as part of a wider outsourcing and privatization agenda."

He says the dishonesty of port company management and their real agenda was beginning to emerge under the unforgiving light of day.

"POAL management say that they are engaged in a negotiation process, and they are consulting with their employees – but at the same time they are bringing in expensive individuals whose only role is to outsource employees jobs and destroy their family life through insecure hours of work and income."

Mr Mayson is a former CEO of Ports of Tauranga.

Mr Parsloe says the plight of workers at Ports of Tauranga has been ignored.

"These workers lives have been blighted by insecure jobs and casualization, and the multiple deaths of workers at Port of Tauranga in a short space of time is also ignored."

Mr Parsloe says the actions of Ports of Auckland management had now attracted the attention of the international workers movement and the latest move would result in continued disruption and harm to the Ports of Auckland.

"As always the Maritime Union is offering to work towards a negotiated solution, whereas port management are working to their own agenda which is becoming clearer day by day."

ENDS

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