The
Maritime Union of New Zealand says outsourcing at Ports of Auckland
cannot replace a skilled in-house workforce. Maritime Union Auckland
Branch Local 13 President Garry Parsloe says any moves to contract
out work by port management would meet strong resistance.
Ports
of Auckland Managing Director Jens Madsen has claimed in media
interviews that outsourcing parts of Ports of Auckland’s workforce
was being driven by the need to handle peak demand.
But
Garry says the workforce currently employed by the Port Company are
one of the most flexible workforces in New Zealand.
“Maritime
Union members at Ports of Auckland work 24/7 in all weather. They
undertake highly skilled duties operating heavy equipment in a
challenging environment.”
He
says the focus of management should be on maintaining its current
workforce at a level where it can service its customers.
Garry
says Mr Madsen’s claims that outsourcing was common practice
overseas neglected to take into account that it was also a common
source of major industrial conflict between management and workers.
Maritime
workers around the world were fighting outsourcing and job insecurity
tooth and nail. “We have no doubt outsourcing will be used to
reduce the terms and conditions that our members receive under the
terms and conditions of the Collective Employment Agreement recently
negotiated in good faith with the Company.”
He
says workers feel that they have been deceived by the Port Company
management following major redundancies in 2009. Garry
says managers were warned at the time that they would be left
understaffed.
He
says the current agreement contains the flexibility to meet the
‘peaks and troughs’ of shipping. “The outsourcing concept
from the Ports of Auckland management is about trying to cover a lack
of skilled, permanent staff. If it is such a good idea, why not
outsource the managers?”
Garry says during the global economic downturn, the hard work of maritime workers saw an increased profit of $4.6 million for the Ports of Auckland. The profit from the Port Company is returned to the people of Auckland through the Auckland Regional Council and has contributed over $200 million in the past five years.