No to privatisation – keep Port of Lyttelton in our ownership

The Mar­itime Union has repeat­ed its warn­ings that the Christchurch City Coun­cil should not pri­va­tise key assets includ­ing the Port of Lyt­tel­ton.

Port pri­va­ti­za­tion would have neg­a­tive out­comes for the City, says MUNZ Lyt­tel­ton Branch Sec­re­tary Les Wells.

The ratepay­ers and cit­i­zens of Christchurch should con­tin­ue to organ­ise against the asset sales pro­gramme, he says.

The Mar­itime Union took a lead­ing role in the cam­paign against the part pri­va­ti­za­tion of the Port of Lyt­tel­ton in 2006.

In the 2006 case the port deal was being pro­mot­ed by a right wing May­or and coun­cil, but in the cur­rent sit­u­a­tion the Union was con­cerned the sell off was being pro­mot­ed by the cur­rent May­or, a for­mer Labour MP.

Pri­vati­sa­tion of ports inter­na­tion­al­ly have often led to poor out­comes, loss of con­trol and loss of income for com­mu­ni­ties.

The Port is the major asset for the City of Christchurch, says Mr Wells.

“Work­ers will not let their assets built by gen­er­a­tions of labour be pawned off for short-sight­ed gains.”

Mr Wells says the Union was firm­ly opposed to asset sales and would cam­paign against both local and nation­al politi­cians who were push­ing pri­va­ti­za­tion.