Engineers back bid for Meko frigates

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 2

Engineers back bid for Meko frigates

PA Wellington The Engineers’ Union has gone against the Council of Trade Unions and backed one of the two consortiums vying for the Anzac frigate project.

The Engineers’ Union executive, Mr Jim Butterworth, signed a technology transfer agreement in Hamburg last week with the Victorian Trades Council secretary, Mr John Halfpenny, and the head of the workers’ council at the Blohm and Voss shipyard.

Mr Butterworth said the agreement was unique and its signing historic. It allows for regular consultation to implement the transfer of technology, skills and information from Europe to Australia and New Zealand, if the West German Meko frigate (favoured by the Amecon consortium) is selected as the Anzac frigate. The other design under consideration is the Dutch M-class.

Under the agreement, West German, Australian and New Zealand unions will work together to facilitate the transfer of skills and information. Blohm and Voss is committed to training Australian and New Zealand engineers at their West German shipyard.

Mr Butterworth said trainers would also come to Australia and New Zealand to “set up systems to assist in this process.”

The New Zealand Engineers’ Union supported the frigate project, he said. This is at variance to the Council of Trade Unions’ position. The council’s vice-president,

Ms Angela Foulkes, said last week that the council was against the project.

Mr Butterworth is the council’s representative on a frigate project liaison committee. He said yesterday that he had gone to Hamburg and signed the technology agreement on behalf of his union and had not represented the council.

The Hamburg agreement had particular appeal, because not only would workers be trained to use the highest levels of technology, but the technology itself would remain in New Zealand and the benefits would flow into the general manufacturing sector, said Mr Butterworth.

The Amecon design was attractive, because under its modular design the main part of the New Zealand cost would be spent in New Zealand. The design also allowed for the vessel to be lightly armed, but if the international scene changed, those arms could be updated quickly.

He said New Zealand’s frigates were wearing out and if the Government decided they needed replacing, it was better to ensure that as much work as possible came to New Zealand.

The Engineers’ Union was not against the other consortium (A.W.S.), but from his perspective, the Meko design offered a greater local input.