Campaign to build trains in Dunedin holds public meeting

The campaign by rail workers to get new trains for Auckland built in New Zealand workshops is pushing ahead with a public meeting to be held in South Dunedin.

The meeting will be held on Monday 12 July at 7.30pm at the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind for Hall on the corner of Hillside Road and Law Street (entrance on Law Street.)

Speakers from two of New Zealand's leading transport unions will give an update on the campaign and related transport issues, and explain how the public can support the campaign.

Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) National President, Jim Kelly, who works at Hillside, will update the meeting on the RMTU campaign to get the work done locally.

The expertise and equipment needed to undertake this work exists in New Zealand rail workshops in Dunedin and Lower Hutt, he says, but the Government and KiwiRail management want to take the work overseas.

Mr Kelly says New Zealand rail workers are skilled, experienced, and want to do this work.

A large part of the work could be done in workshops like Hillside and would provide an enormous boost for Dunedin's economy.

The RMTU have gathered thousands of signatures on their campaign petition.

Mr Kelly will be joined by the General Secretary of the Maritime Union of New Zealand, Joe Fleetwood, who will speak on transport issues and the effect of free trade policies.

The RMTU and MUNZ signed a strategic union alliance charter earlier this year and are working together in the transport industry.

The meeting is open to the public and is being hosted by the Alliance Party who are backing the RMTU campaign.

Alliance spokesperson Victor Billot says public pressure is needed to change the irresponsible attitude of the National Government, away from free trade ideology towards maintaining high skilled jobs and industry in New Zealand at a time of high unemployment.