Port of Tauranga container crane driver Aubrey Wilkinson is the new national president-elect of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union.

Aubrey takes up this post next month, moving up from his current role of vice-president.

Aubrey Wilkinson.

He was nominated unopposed to take over from long serving president Jim Kelly, of Dunedin, who did not seek re-election.

It was Jim's support and the encouragement of the committee that pushed him into standing, says Aubrey.

'I'm keen to get out and listen to what our members' priorities are and bring our diverse membership along the rail industry supply chain even closer together,” says Aubrey.

He also wants to get the views of union members on how to take forward the NZ Work for NZ Workers campaign, which is calling on the government and KiwiRail to back the local rail manufacturing workforce.

There are 247 members of the Mount Maunganui branch of the RMTU, not counting the rail membership. It makes the Mount the fourth largest branch in the country, and the biggest port branch.

RMTU general secretary Wayne Butson says outgoing president Jim Kelly, who works at Hillside workshops in Dunedin, has been a strong, popular and successful president since 1995.

'He has been a steady hand on the tiller over the years,” says Wayne.

'We will all look forward to recognising his considerable achievements as president, at our national conference later this year.”