Threats of action fail to alter waterfront reform plans

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 5

Threats of action fail to alter waterfront reform plans

PA Wellington The Government would not be threatened out of waterfront reform by talk of industrial action, the Minister of Transport, Mr Jeffries, said yesterday. It would be influenced by reasoned argument, he said in a-speech prepared for delivery to the Harbour Workers’ Union at Invercargill. Ports needed a new, positive approach and had to be supported by an up-to-date, flexible framework, he said. “The Waterfront Industry Act can’t go on the same for ever — we have

to move forward.” The Government had recognised that if the new system of port management was to be effective, complementary changes would be needed in waterside labour employment and harbour board involvement in cargo handling and stevedoring. Mr Jeffries said the provision to remove the near-monopoly ' harbour boards had on cargo handling equipment at ports would give competing employers the opportunity to use their own mobile plant rather than the harbour boards’ plant. |

{ “Port-by-port levies will challenge waterside labour to ; work efficiently and raise productivity or their own port and their own jobs will be; on the line,” Mr Jeffries! said. "There is no more national levy to ; support extra numbers of (workers and over-sized gangs.' “I know productivity levels are important but there is room for improvement in our system, practices and work methods.” Mr Jeffries said that for years waterfront legislation had reinforced the "difficult” demarcation between watersiders and

harbour workers which ppsed an awkward problem forthe Government. As a rule the Government did not want to use legislation to settle industrial disputes and the Port Reform Bill took a neutral position on the industrial demarcation. I "At the same time the statutorily privileged position granted to harbour boards to supply equipment on the wharves can’t continue,” he said. I I The new port companies would not be given a free ride in that respect and should be exposed to competition wherever possible. ; ■