Maritime Union and Ports of Auckland to request facilitation

Media Release: Maritime Union
Friday April 13, 2012

Maritime Union and Ports of Auckland to request facilitation

The Maritime Union and Ports of Auckland will next week ask the Employment Relations Authority for facilitated bargaining in an effort to resolve current employment negotiations.

Maritime Union Garry Parsloe said both parties had agreed with a judge’s recommendation to first attempt more mediation, and then move to facilitation.

“As mediation hasn’t worked, it’s important that we now go to facilitation. The Maritime Union welcomes this development.”

“As we indicated yesterday we have struggled with a ‘cut and paste’ negotiations approach from Ports of Auckland, who are simply recycling previous proposals that provide no guaranteed days off, no protection against casualisation and a package that would significantly reduce workers’ pay.”

“We hope to get some positive direction from facilitation. We will be taking all of the facilitators recommendations seriously, and take them back to membership to consider.”

Garry Parsloe said that the union was requesting documents that the company had provided to the union’s legal team (but not the union) during the discovery process as part of the good faith bargaining court case the union is taking.

“We believe that there is information in the discovery documents that will assist the union in justifying its belief that a ‘right to contact out’ clause in a new employment agreement will simply result in the Port contracting out these workers after settlement of the agreement.

“Assuming the Port has nothing to hide we expect them to agree to this request tomorrow,” he said.

Garry Parsloe said the union also welcomed comments today from the Mayor on the unacceptable behaviour of management at Ports of Auckland.

“This sort of behaviour has been challenging for Ports workers and their union to deal with to say the least. We are encouraged the Mayor wants to see an end to this management culture at Ports of Auckland.”

Ends.

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