Port contracting out proposal unlawful - union

The Maritime Union says that the Ports of Auckland decision to dismiss its workforce is unlawful, and workers will challenge it.

The Maritime Union has asked the Employment Court for a ruling on whether Port management dismissing its workforce, while in negotiations over an employment agreement for those jobs, is against the law, MUNZ National President Garry Parsloe said.

The union has today also released its full response to the company proposal.

“Ports of Auckland gave little consideration to our response to them on their contracting out proposal,” said Garry Parsloe.

“We set out in detail all the problems with their proposal, but they have clearly just been going through the motions, and pushing ahead with their plan to take away job security for workers.”

The union response to the proposed redundancies was yesterday sent to all Auckland Councillors, and they needed to put a stop to the Port management’s actions, Garry Parsloe said.

“The Council needs to intervene to ensure that this flawed contracting model is not implemented in their name as the means to deliver an unrealistic 12% return.”

Garry Parsloe said Ports workers were inviting the public of Auckland to join them at a rally for secure jobs and a sustainable port, at Britomart this Saturday at 4pm.

In their response to the proposed dismissal, workers argued that:

· The dismissal proposal is unlawful;

· The dismissal proposal is undermining of the bargaining for a Collective Agreement, and amounts to an unlawful lockout;

· The decision to split the decision to contract out, from issues surrounding the implementation of contracting out is artificial, and has precluded a proper consultation;

· The proposal is impractical;

· The proposal relies on statistical data to establish a crisis in comparison to the Port of Tauranga. No such crisis in fact exists;

· The focus on the return on capital is not good reason for the dismissal proposal.

Ends.

Notes:
Click here for a the Maritime Union’s full response to the company proposal (pdf, 50kb):
http://www.saveourport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MUNZ-response-re-dismissals.pdf