Ports of Auckland must not be privatized

The Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and says the Ports of Auck­land must remain in the full own­er­ship of Auck­land Coun­cil.

Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and Nation­al Sec­ret­ary Craig Har­ris­on says recent debates in the Auck­land May­or­alty elec­tion cam­paign had cre­ated a lack of clar­ity around the future of the Ports and the dangers of privat­iz­a­tion or part-privat­iz­a­tion.

He says it is import­ant for Ports of Auck­land to be able to focus on its busi­ness without more dis­trac­tions.

Mr Har­ris­on says the dif­fi­culties exper­i­enced by Ports of Auck­land in the last ten years were caused by prob­lems at the Board and mana­geri­al level.

He says those prob­lems have been finally resolved with a clean out and replace­ment by a new team.

“There is now a more pos­it­ive rela­tion­ship between the uni­on work­force and new man­age­ment and this is already hav­ing bene­fits, for example in the stronger focus on health and safety.”

The aban­don­ment of the auto­ma­tion pro­ject and growth in the Ports work­force would see bet­ter res­ults, faster turn­around and high­er returns to Auck­land Coun­cil going for­ward, he says.

Mr Har­ris­on says major volat­il­ity in sup­ply chains is still an issue, and there was a need for a freight strategy for New Zea­l­and ports espe­cially in the north­ern North Island.

He says there is a small group driv­en by self-interest who wanted to see port privat­iz­a­tion, but most Auck­landers real­ized the bene­fits of the asset they had in Ports of Auck­land.