Time is up for Methyl Bromide

The Mar­itime Union is back­ing ral­lies in New Zealand ports over the next week to end the use of methyl bro­mide.

Mar­itime Union of New Zealand Gen­er­al Sec­re­tary Joe Fleet­wood says mar­itime work­ers want to see the tox­ic gas tak­en out of use.

“The time is up for methyl bro­mide and New Zealand needs to be mov­ing into line with where the world is going.”

He says the Union is part of a new Coali­tion Against the use of Methyl Bro­mide bring­ing togeth­er work­ers, envi­ron­men­tal groups, polit­i­cal par­ties and com­mu­ni­ty orga­ni­za­tions.

Methyl bro­mide is used in ports and aboard ships to fumi­gate logs for pests but most of New Zealand’s major trad­ing part­ners will accept oth­er treat­ments.

Methyl bro­mide also harms the ozone lay­er, and is being phased out inter­na­tion­al­ly under the Mon­tre­al Pro­to­col.

Mr Fleet­wood says the deaths of six port work­ers in Nel­son from motor neu­ron dis­ease has led to ongo­ing debate about pos­si­ble links with methyl bro­mide.

He says that fur­ther research is being car­ried out on the effects of methyl bro­mide on human health, and there was cause for con­cern.

He says the Mar­itime Union is very con­cerned that busi­ness­es prof­it­ing from methyl bro­mide use and Gov­ern­ment agen­cies have been too close­ly linked up until 2009 through the STIMBR group.

“It seems once again that prof­it has tak­en pri­or­i­ty over the safe­ty of work­ers, com­mu­ni­ties and envi­ron­ment.”

Protests tak­ing place at the ports of Pic­ton, Welling­ton and Tau­ran­ga will high­light the large amount of methyl bro­mide gas that is being used at these ports, and the risk this pos­es to worker’s health and the ozone lay­er.

Protest Sched­ule

Pic­ton

Date: Fri­day April 23
Time: 12.00
Loca­tion: Shake­speare Bay Look­out
Map — http://bit.ly/9tNucR

Welling­ton

Date: Mon­day April 26
Time: 12.00
Loca­tion: The foot­path out­side of the Blue­bridge entrance
Map — http://bit.ly/9MqJ2R

Tau­ran­ga

Date: Wednes­day April 28
Time: 12.00
Loca­tion: Cor­ner of Totara St and Hull Rd. It is the first inter­sec­tion from the wharf.
Map — http://bit.ly/aZW3US

Mem­bers of the Coali­tion are:

Soil and Health Asso­ci­a­tion of New Zealand
The Green Par­ty
Rail and Mar­itime Trans­port Union
New Zealand Coun­cil of Trade Unions
The Safe Food Cam­paign
Guardian of the Sounds
Pes­ti­cide Action Net­work Aotearoa New Zealand
Mar­itime Union of New Zealand
Friends of Nel­son­haven and Tas­man Bay
The Alliance Par­ty