Maritime Union of New Zealand workers say management has not listened to their concerns. Photo by the New Zealand Herald.
Safety and a secure family life are top concerns for the workers on strike outside Ports of Auckland’s container terminal.
Around 50 people, including Maritime Union workers and their families, held up signs along Tamaki Drive earlier today, drawing a steady stream of honks from passing cars.
“We’ve been getting good support from the public,” says National Vice President Carl Findlay. “I think they all understand there’s got to be a balance in this life.”
The workers are fighting to protect health and safety standards and steady working hours, which they said are under threat from the changes proposed by port boss Tony Gibson.
“We all work in eight and a half hour shifts. That’s what the port’s trying to remove. They’re trying to get us onto variable hours, where you could be working anywhere from five to twelve hours.
One dock worker named Tamati, who did not want his full name released, has been working at the port for nearly seven years. He said the stress of variable hours would tear families apart.
“It already happens now because that’s the life of a shift worker – everybody understands that. And they’re just making it worse. They’re creating a monster and they’ve got no way of fixing it. I don’t think they even care about that.”