The Maritime Union of New Zealand says a watersider who died aboard a ship at the Port of Lyttelton on Saturday 21 December 2013 was a union member.
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Joe Fleetwood said the death of the worker will hit the close knit workforce and community hard.
He says information received indicates the worker was aboard a fertiliser vessel when the incident occurred.
Mr Fleetwood says the Union will be calling for a meeting with health and safety delegates, management of all port employers, Maritime New Zealand and Worksafe officials.
He says there are concerns that congestion in the port could be a contributing factor to health and safety issues in the port since the 2011 earthquake.
The Union will offer support to family and workmates of the deceased worker.
The death is the second in the port within a month. A contractor died in a logging truck incident on 26 November 2013.
