Maritime Union puts forward 2008 election goals

The Mari­time Uni­on has announced its pri­or­it­ies for the 2008 elec­tion.

Mari­time Uni­on Gen­er­al Sec­ret­ary Tre­vor Han­son says the Uni­on wants to see the return of a Labour-led Gov­ern­ment to con­tin­ue what he describes as incre­ment­al but pos­it­ive moves to devel­op the mari­time and trans­port indus­tries.

Mr Han­son says the Mari­time Uni­on is strongly endors­ing the New Zea­l­and Coun­cil of Trade Uni­ons (CTU) elec­tion policy doc­u­ment, espe­cially regard­ing key issues such as wages, employ­ment rela­tions, health and safety, ACC, and trans­port.

He says the CTU has iden­ti­fied spe­cif­ic mari­time issues such as amend­ing sec­tion 198 of the Mari­time Trans­port Act to ensure that domest­ic coastal ship­ping is not dis­ad­vant­aged in rela­tion to for­eign ships, and oppos­ing com­mit­ments on Mode 4 in bilat­er­al and region­al free trade agree­ments relat­ing to the move­ment of cross-bor­der labour.

“We want to see the return of a Labour-led Gov­ern­ment which has the sup­port of pro-work­er minor parties in an MMP envir­on­ment.”

Mr Han­son says it is a time of great chal­lenges in a trade-driv­en industry.

He says it is a mixed out­look for the industry with poten­tial threats to jobs com­ing from an inter­na­tion­al down­turn in trade caused by the cur­rent fin­an­cial crisis, but poten­tial for expan­sion in the off­shore oil and gas industry.

“A move back to a Nation­al Gov­ern­ment at a time of inter­na­tion­al reces­sion would cre­ate a repeat of the 1990s in our industry which saw the decim­a­tion of job secur­ity, a lack of plan­ning and mind­less dereg­u­la­tion that has caused a lot of down­stream prob­lems.”

Spe­cif­ic goals for the Mari­time Uni­on:

• New Zea­l­and ship­ping. The Mari­time Uni­on endorses the Sea Change doc­u­ment but believes that rap­idly evolving cir­cum­stances require a more ambi­tious approach. Cab­ot­age for New Zea­l­and ship­ping is not off the table. The com­mit­ment to New Zea­l­and ship­ping in the Sea Change plan is seen as a good first step. It is back on the agenda for Aus­tralia and the option for a trans-Tas­man cab­ot­age arrange­ment could be con­sidered. (NB Cab­ot­age is where domest­ic ship­ping is giv­en pri­or­ity on coastal ship­ping routes.)

• Cas­u­al­iz­a­tion needs to be addressed. The cas­u­al­iz­a­tion review ini­ti­ated by the Labour Gov­ern­ment and New Zea­l­and First has star­ted the ball rolling. The long term solu­tion can only lie in a reg­u­lated labour mar­ket. Work­ers are not com­mod­it­ies. The flow on effect of a cas­u­al­ized work­force is an unskilled, demor­al­ized work­force with low pro­ductiv­ity. The social prob­lems caused by cas­u­al­iz­a­tion are pro­found. A nation­al register of trained, bona fide mari­time work­ers is one option to ensure nation­al stand­ards and qual­ity jobs are a pri­or­ity.

• Free trade. The Mari­time Uni­on has cri­ti­cized free trade arrange­ments on a num­ber of levels. The own­er­ship and con­trol of New Zeal­and’s mari­time and trans­port infra­struc­ture is in danger of being trans­ferred to over­seas con­glom­er­ates and free trade will under­mine invest­ment reg­u­la­tions. The use of short-term cas­u­al labour being impor­ted across bor­ders to drive down wages and con­di­tions is a major inter­na­tion­al issue that is not yet fully appre­ci­ated in New Zea­l­and. The role of free trade agree­ments in under­min­ing loc­al con­trol and secure work is a ser­i­ous con­cern. The Mari­time Uni­on notes the rel­ev­ant cri­ti­cisms of free trade from the Green Party and Alli­ance Party.

• Port ration­al­iz­a­tion. The Mari­time Uni­on views the cur­rent sys­tem of ports engaged in mutu­ally destruct­ive com­pet­i­tion as unsus­tain­able. How­ever the Uni­on rejects privat­iz­a­tion or cor­por­ate mono­pol­ies pro­moted by ves­ted interests as the answer. A nation­al ports policy needs to drive the mod­ern­iz­a­tion pro­cess, to get past the paro­chi­al approach of ports, and which retains New Zea­l­and own­er­ship and con­trol of ports.

• Train­ing. The lack of new entrants into the industry espe­cially in growth areas such as off­shore oil and gas is a ser­i­ous con­cern. The young people of New Zea­l­and have the right to train­ing and careers in their own industry. The Mari­time Uni­on sup­ports industry sug­ges­tions around the estab­lish­ment of a train­ing facil­ity for this area. A career path for young work­ers is vital for both the industry and for New Zeal­and’s future.

• Health and safety. Phase out of Methyl Brom­ide.

• Pub­lic own­er­ship. Sup­port the buy­back of rail and fer­ries. Sup­port pub­lic own­er­ship of ports.

• Kiwis­aver. Sup­port cur­rent Kiwis­aver sys­tem while ensur­ing nation­al super­an­nu­ation is not down­graded.