Lyttleton Port workers have walked off the job and industrial action could last up to 12 days.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) members announced the strike at midnight and gave Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) notices for March 13 to 25.
RMTU South Island organiser John Kerr says the union workers have “tried everything including mediation to reach a settlement, but the company refused to amend their position and walked out before lunchtime”.
“Port workers put two meaningful options on the table and asked if there was any ability to move on them. They were flatly rejected and LPC said they were not prepared to change their offer.
“Management’s intransigence and inflexibility is very disappointing. We aren’t that far apart – we’re asking for the same rates LPC agreed with the other union on site, while LPC is offering 1% less than that. A deal should be possible with a little creativity,” Kerr says.
LPC operations manager Paul Monk says the company has offered RMTU members a 3% salary increase each year for three years while asking for no changes in their conditions of work.
“We are no longer asking them to make the roster changes, agreed to a year ago by their Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) colleagues at the port, which would allow us to offer customers more flexible servicing of their vessels.
“The reason MUNZ members received a salary increase of 4% this year and 3% for the next two years was because they embraced and are working the flexible roster RMTU is refusing to accept.
“We have previously offered RMTU members in the Terminal parity with these conditions and wages. However, RMTU want the same salary increases as their MUNZ colleagues while refusing to make the same roster changes.
“We remain committed to resolving the industrial situation but RMTU’s unreasonable salary demands, for more than double the current inflation rate of 1.6%, and its members’ absolute determination to strike make it extremely difficult to reach a settlement,” Monk says.
