Seamen hold sit-in protest

Press, 30 September 1988, Page 6

Seamen hold sit-in protest

PA Wellington Twelve members of the Seamen’s Union occupied the Shipping Corporation’s boardroom yesterday morning to protest against the company’s proposed sale. The union’s president, Mr Dave Morgan, said, “They don’t deserve the boardroom if they are going to make decisions which aid the sale of the New Zealand Line.” The corporation board planned to meet for the last time yesterday morning before handing over to a new board. Mr Morgan claimed that the board was resigning because it

wanted to distance itself from the sale of the line. “We call on the board not to resign and be seen to desert a sinking ship but to stay and fight the sale of the line,” he said. Mr Morgan said all the reasons why the corporation was set up still existed. These included New Zealand’s control of its shipping, a say in freight rate negotiations and a flag presence throughout the world. Union members also feared extensive job losses resulting from the sale. There was no guarantee of any jobs remaining for New Zealand seamen, Mr Morgan said. The board’s chairman, Mr

Michael Hirschfeld, said it was resigning to enable a smaller board with less historical links to the company to take over negotiations and look at alternative ways of selling the corporation. Staff levels and leave conditions were yet to be finalised with the four unions involved — seamen, cooks and stewards, the Merchant Service Guild, and engineers, he said. The Seamen’s Union had made an offer of lower staff levels and less leave only on the condition that the line stay in New Zealand ownership;