Day: 23 October 2008

Lockwood’s comments show it’s time to sort out short-term labour

The Mar­itime Union says that action must be tak­en to pro­tect both local jobs and over­seas work­ers in New Zealand indus­tries after recent com­ments from Oppo­si­tion immi­gra­tion spokesper­son Lock­wood Smith about over­seas work­ers caused an uproar.

Mar­itime Union Gen­er­al Sec­re­tary Trevor Han­son says a pro­gres­sive down­ward pres­sure on wages, con­di­tions and local jobs is spread­ing through­out large areas of the New Zealand econ­o­my, includ­ing the hor­ti­cul­ture and viti­cul­ture sec­tor.

“We are very aware of this prob­lem in the fish­ing indus­try and with flag of con­ve­nience ship­ping, and also with attempts to dis­place water­front labour.”