Day: 3 February 2005

Lithuanian workers issue has opened container of worms

Mar­itime Union Gen­er­al Sec­re­tary Trevor Han­son says there are two major issues at stake – first­ly the sta­tus of import­ed work­ers doing jobs on the water­front, but liv­ing aboard ships, and a sec­ond issue of safe­ty and work­ing con­di­tions.

He says it appears that employ­ers are now try­ing to get around immi­gra­tion reg­u­la­tions by accom­mo­dat­ing work­ers on board over­seas ships, then get­ting them down the gang­plank to work with­in New Zealand each day.

Mr Han­son says the work­ers were moved from their cur­rent accom­mo­da­tion in con­vert­ed con­tain­ers on the water­front because the Lyt­tel­ton Port Com­pa­ny did not believe they were sit­u­at­ed safe­ly.