International maritime workers represented at Maritime Union 2009 Conference

Mar­itime work­ers from around the world have gath­ered in Welling­ton this week as the Mar­itime Union of New Zealand holds its third tri­en­ni­al con­fer­ence.

The three day con­fer­ence sets the agen­da for the next three years of the Union and runs through to Thurs­day 29 Octo­ber.

The con­fer­ence was opened this morn­ing by Leader of the Oppo­si­tion Phil Goff.

Del­e­gates and observers from through­out New Zealand and from USA, UK, Japan and Aus­tralia are attend­ing the con­fer­ence.

Inter­na­tion­al speak­ers address­ing the Con­fer­ence include Mar­itime Union of Aus­tralia Nation­al Sec­re­tary Pad­dy Crum­lin, All Japan Dock­work­ers Union ZenKowan Deputy Gen­er­al Sec­re­tary Shosaku Machi­da, Inter­na­tion­al Long­shore and Ware­house Work­ers Union (North Amer­i­ca) Vice Pres­i­dent Ray Fami­lathe, and RMT Nation­al Sec­re­tary Sea­far­ers Divi­sion Steve Todd (Unit­ed King­dom).

The Con­fer­ence will also be the last for long serv­ing Mar­itime Union Gen­er­al Sec­re­tary Trevor Han­son who retires next month after 37 years of active mem­ber­ship and lead­er­ship with­in the Mar­itime Union and the for­mer Water­front Work­ers Union.

Elec­tions for the Mar­itime Union’s four nation­al offi­cers are cur­rent­ly being held by postal bal­lot.