Walkout strangles Auckland port

By SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter

The Auckland waterfront, gateway for most of the nation's trade, has been hit by industrial action that could disrupt the port for weeks.

Up to 250 Auckland wharfies walked off the job late last night, intending to be out for 24 hours. They planned to repeat the action next Thursday.

The Waterfront Workers Union has given notice of a further week-long strike from July 4, which would affect hundreds of millions of dollars of imports and exports.

The strike will hold up the scheduled loading and unloading of 11,000 containers, including 3600 for export.

All told, 36 ships will have to be delayed or diverted.

The Ports of Auckland group manager of public affairs, Karren Beanland, said yesterday: "It has very serious ramifications for the port and it will affect the whole economy."

The port handles far more freight than any other in New Zealand.

The strike will affect work at its two container terminals, Axis Fergusson and Axis Bledisloe. Ships at the port's conventional cargo wharves are worked by independent firms.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett warned last night that the strike would have serious repercussions for exporters because it sent "bad signals" to customers abroad.

"There are a whole lot of countries that are keen to do the business," he said.

"Our exporters had to fight for their share of the market and that whole investment could be lost or threatened."

The managing director of Ullrich Aluminium, Gilbert Ullrich, said a week-long strike could cause missed shipments, with dire results if overseas clients lost faith in this country's ability to deliver on time.

"They're not going to look on New Zealand very kindly, or our performance and delivery."

The waterside union's Auckland branch president, Denis Carlisle, said he was aware of the economic impact of striking but it was time for the workers' voice to be heard after months of fruitless negotiations.

"The frustration level is very, very high because we are making no headway whatsoever."

If the port had to cope with a week-long strike, "they will really have trouble."

Mr Carlisle said the workers' contract had expired at Christmas and the union lodged its new claims in mid-February.

The union is seeking a pay rise to catch up on years in which it says its members lost ground.

It also says Ports of Auckland wants to boost its pool of casual labourers, who work for $12.50 an hour - about $11 an hour less than a stevedore.

"They want to create a labour pool that can be turned off and on," Mr Carlisle said.

"We'll end up with a labour pool of $14 wharfies."

Ms Beanland said the union was seeking a 5.5 per cent pay rise. The company had offered 2 per cent plus a share of profits. It was completely wrong to suggest that the issue was casualisation of the workforce.

She said mediation talks were continuing and the company hoped negotiations next week could avert the second planned strike.

But the union said mediation had broken down.

Ports of Auckland chief executive Geoff Vazey said the company faced stiff competition from other ports and needed a flexible labour pool to meet the challenge.

The union seemed determined to strike regardless of the company's position, he said.

Some stevedores earned $103,000 a year, Mr Vazey said.

But Mr Carlisle said they worked 80 hours a week.

Ports of Auckland estimates 225 of its 485 staff are union members. The union puts the number at about 250.