Strike threat at waterfront

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 3

Strike threat at waterfront

PA and staff reporter A national waterfront stoppage may be looming over the onshore cost forum. It is believed watersiders at New Zealand ports will stop work for 48 hours on Monday and Tuesday, the day the latest series of workshops on the forum will be held, although officials of the Waterfront Workers’ Industrial Union would not comment. The assistant secretary of the Lyttelton branch of the

union, Mr Kevin Cameron, said that he could not confirm or deny the stoppage at this stage. If the strike does go ahead on Monday and Tuesday at least five vessels at Lyttelton would be affected. The Association of Waterfront Employers has not been notified of the strike but a spokesman for the association said that this was not unusual. “It just becomes common knowledge (that there is going to be a strike),” he said.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board and the Lyttelton branch of the Waterfront Employers’ Association would not comment. The onshore costs forum is a series of discussions started by the Ministry of Transport and aimed at reducing onshore costs in the ports industry. Discussions have moved through several stages in the last 18 months. Next week’s workshops are expected to produce a consensus on ways of altering the present shape of the structure and institutional framework of the ports industry.