Ports of Auckland Maritime Union of New Zealand stevedores have filed for a Christmas Eve strike.
The strike notice is for two 24 hour periods, from 10.30pm on Thursday, December 22 until 10.30pm on Friday, December 23; and from 10.30pm on Saturday, December 24 until 10.30pm on Sunday, December 25.
'This morning we lifted our lockout notice and challenged the union to lift their strike notice for this Thursday and Friday,” says Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson.
'It's therefore highly disappointing to instead get hit with a further strike, right over Christmas.”
He's shocked the union has issued a third strike notice just a day after the company's largest customer, Maersk, pulled its Southern Star service out of Auckland because of the industrial action.
'This is counter-productive. This industrial action has already cost Ports of Auckland one major shipping service.
'Further disruption will put even more jobs at risk without advancing talks between the parties.”
He says Ports of Auckland will continue to work with the Port of Tauranga and KiwiRail to minimise the impact of the strikes on the supply chain.
The latest action could hurt retailers wanting to re-stock shelves for the Boxing Day and new year sales.
Ports of Auckland is meeting with the union for further mediation on Thursday, December 8.
The company's Bledisloe and Fergusson container terminals, and associated road and rail services, are affected by the strike.
Ports of Auckland's multi-cargo wharves, cruise business, vehicle import trade, marine services, Onehunga seaport, Wiri Inland Port and Seafuels barge Awanuia are not affected. The on-dock empty container depot will also remain open.
2 comments
AKL NEEDS TO
Posted on 07-12-2011 16:44 | By MISS ADVENTURE
Think about the affect on everyone else for a change, it is the run up to Xmas and a little more thought should be given to all of this. So offer a 20% pay reduction in light of the deliberate damage caused to the Ports business activities. The employees need to realise that the loss of income to the port has a direct affect on them. If they carry on like that then there will be no jobs and no port in Auckland.
Bah Humbug at Christmas
Posted on 07-12-2011 20:09 | By carpedeum
Let them all go before Christmas Eve- plenty of other people out there looking for jobs. Arent they satisfied that they have altready lost the Mersk contract to Tauranga? ga ???
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.