KEY POINTS:
Auckland port workers returned to their cranes late last night from a bruising 24-hour strike after granting what union leaders said was a strong mandate to resume negotiations in their two-year-old pay dispute.
That could happen tomorrow if the Maritime Union accepts an offer of a meeting then with Ports of Auckland.
Trucking firms expect a hectic day on the waterfront today as they try to clear a backlog of cargo from the strike by up to 300 port workers which disrupted the schedules of four container ships at a busy time of year for both exporters and importers.
Importers Institute secretary Daniel Silva said that although retailers already had most of their Christmas goods on shop shelves, the strike was a big inconvenience to those waiting for late consignments, some of which might now end up in New Year sales bins.
Auckland Road Transport Association executive Chris Carr said some trucks had to wait for up to 80 minutes to clear goods in the two days before the strike, after heavy traffic overwhelmed a finely tuned cargo booking system, and he feared even longer delays today.
But he and others were pleased by an indication from the union that there was unlikely to be any more industrial disruption before Christmas.
"There will be no more industrial action unless we arrive at negotiations and they [the port company] give us the dump," union branch secretary and senior national official Russell Meyn told the Herald.
He would not spell out details of the negotiating mandate obtained from an eight-hour meeting of about 200 workers well inland from the port, at the New Lynn Returned and Services Association clubrooms.
"What they want is a fair system that will provide flexibility and for the needs of the port to go forward," was all he would say of his members' wishes.
But although that suggests the union will be prepared to negotiate around a company bid to introduce new rosters, after strong resistance from factions of its membership, he indicated a continuing need to guard against a wider use of casual labour.
The union has been particularly concerned about the company's wish to roster more casuals to work on the first two days of each week, to ensure it has enough permanent staff available for the rest of the time, including weekends.
Although the company says it already has a contractual right to employ up to 25 per cent of its workforce as casuals, the union accuses it of not employing enough permanent staff and of importing workers from Tauranga rather than from local stevedoring firms at peak times, at considerable extra cost.
Union branch president Denis Carlisle acknowledged having to "referee" between opposing factions at some points of yesterday's meeting, but said the marathon session ended with a high degree of unity, and a unanimous vote followed by hand-shaking.
"We are now united in our resolve to go and get the agreement we deserve."
He believed a new offer made by the company just hours before the strike helped to unify the workforce, saying they saw it as a bid to strip away conditions "in very ruthless fashion".
But the company says its offer of an additional 3.1 per cent pay rise, to offset a new proposal to remove nightshift and briefing allowances, was not meant to displace three other options still on the table. These include a "roll-over" of existing conditions, as well as a backdated 4 per cent pay rise to be followed by 4.5 per cent in 12 months.
A spokeswoman last night reiterated the company's willingness to meet the union tomorrow.
