Union Slams Port Boss’s Pay Rise

The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) says Lyttelton Port CEO Peter Davie’s 18% wage rise, taking his pay packet to $1.24m, is unjustified and inflammatory.

‘Lyttelton port has an appalling health and safety record, with three deaths on the waterfront in the last twelve months, and that fact alone should mean the man running the company isn’t rewarded to this extent,’ said RMTU South Island Organiser John Kerr.

‘Moreover, by their own admission Lyttelton Port’s management were “caught with their pants down” by the recent Tauranga deal, which means a lot more freight is being shipped via Timaru, and yet they are asking workers to get behind a productivity drive to get them out of the mess that their poor leadership has got the port into. You can imagine how that will be received now,’ he said.

‘We’ve just started negotiations for a port wide collective agreement that covers cargo handlers, marine, maintenance and security staff and this news will throw petrol on the fire of members’ expectations,’ he said.

‘Whilst we have no objection to people being well paid, we question the propriety and wisdom of shovelling this amount of cash in one man’s bank account, it’s insensitive at best and inflammatory at worst’ he said.

‘The reality is that any success that Lyttelton port has enjoyed in the last twelve months is down to of rank and file port workers doing difficult and dangerous jobs around the clock in all weathers, not one man sat in a warm dry office during normal business hours,’ said John Kerr.

ENDS

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