Workers facing the sack in the Ports of Auckland have been given a temporary reprieve after a court granted an interim injunction halting management outsourcing plans.
Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) plans to make 300 workers redundant and outsource their stevedoring work. But, after the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) argued that the dismissals are illegal, the Employment Court has ruled that POAL cannot take any further steps in the redundancy process until after a judicial settlement conference on Monday 19 March. This conference will look into whether it was legal for POAL to sack its workforce while in ongoing negotiations over an employment agreement for those positions.
Meanwhile international solidarity with Auckland workers is stepping up a further gear with protests and pickets taking place outside New Zealand embassies and at ports worldwide.
In Tokyo 200 members of Zenkoku Kowan, the National Federation of Dockworkers’ Unions of Japan and the All Japan Seaman’s Union, staged a demonstration near Tokyo station in solidarity with Auckland workers.
In the Philippines members of aviation union PALEA organised solidarity action outside the New Zealand embassy demonstrating that this dispute has reached beyond the dockers affiliates of the ITF out into the entire supply chain.
ITF inspectors also continue to carry out ship visits informing seafarers about the dispute and hundreds of messages of solidarity have been sent to MUNZ.
Dockers’ section secretary Frank Leys said: “It is a good news day for workers in the Ports of Auckland. This injunction slows the redundancy process down but it doesn’t mean the dispute is over, far from it. The level of solidarity action from unions around the world has been encouraging but we still need to keep the pressure on and show that this isn’t just an issue for workers in Auckland, it’s an issue for workers all over the world.”
Check out the latest Auckland solidarity action going on around the world using the interactive map below and view photos here. This map's being updated all the time so if you've been involved in solidarity action and you can't see it here please let us know by emailing: dockers@itf.org.uk.
Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) plans to make 300 workers redundant and outsource their stevedoring work. But, after the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) argued that the dismissals are illegal, the Employment Court has ruled that POAL cannot take any further steps in the redundancy process until after a judicial settlement conference on Monday 19 March. This conference will look into whether it was legal for POAL to sack its workforce while in ongoing negotiations over an employment agreement for those positions.
Meanwhile international solidarity with Auckland workers is stepping up a further gear with protests and pickets taking place outside New Zealand embassies and at ports worldwide.
In Tokyo 200 members of Zenkoku Kowan, the National Federation of Dockworkers’ Unions of Japan and the All Japan Seaman’s Union, staged a demonstration near Tokyo station in solidarity with Auckland workers.
In the Philippines members of aviation union PALEA organised solidarity action outside the New Zealand embassy demonstrating that this dispute has reached beyond the dockers affiliates of the ITF out into the entire supply chain.
ITF inspectors also continue to carry out ship visits informing seafarers about the dispute and hundreds of messages of solidarity have been sent to MUNZ.
Dockers’ section secretary Frank Leys said: “It is a good news day for workers in the Ports of Auckland. This injunction slows the redundancy process down but it doesn’t mean the dispute is over, far from it. The level of solidarity action from unions around the world has been encouraging but we still need to keep the pressure on and show that this isn’t just an issue for workers in Auckland, it’s an issue for workers all over the world.”
Check out the latest Auckland solidarity action going on around the world using the interactive map below and view photos here. This map's being updated all the time so if you've been involved in solidarity action and you can't see it here please let us know by emailing: dockers@itf.org.uk.
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