More than 300 employees have been striking since December against proposed changes to their working hours and moves by Ports of Auckland to outsource work. Source: ONE News.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand said that there will be a seven-day full strike starting at 7am on February 24.
Union president Garry Parsloe says the industrial action is a response to the imminent threat to workers livelihoods.
“The port company is planning to make our members redundant and contract out their jobs,” he said.
“This casualisation exercise is a direct attack on conditions of work and secure, permanent jobs.”
The Maritime Union expects 330 workers to be made redundant and has condemned the move to outsource.
Workers have today been distributing letters, entitled ‘Setting the record straight’, across 360,000 Auckland households and been handing out postcards at major transport hubs.
Wharfies and their supporters will also be running information stalls at upcoming community events, and distributing thousands of informational postcards to commuters during rush-hour.
The new campaign is an indication of how serious the dispute is for workers, Parsloe said.
“The workers at the Ports of Auckland are very aware that this is a direct attack on job security, and that they are in the front line defending secure jobs for all workers,” he said.