Separate agreements talks break down

Press, 19 July 1989, Page 6

Separate agreements talks break down

By

PAM MORTON

Attempts by waterfront employers to negotiate separate port agreements for the Waterfront Workers’ Union have broken down with the union insisting on retaining a national award. The first attempt to negotiate a separate agreement was made on Monday at the Port of Tauranga. However, talks broke down when the union insisted on a national document. Employer moves for separate agreements flow from Government waterfront reform measures. On October 1, the Waterfront Industry Commission goes out of existence, allowing waterfront employers to directly employ watersiders. New employment structures will have to be negotiated by that date, and employers are pushing for

port agreements. The advocate for the National Association of Waterfront Employers, Mr John Button, said employers believed that the appropriate bargaining structure for the industry was port-by-port awards. Mr Button said all of the ports had filed applications of dispute of interest against the union and had called for individual port subsequent party awards. Tauranga was the first port to attempt to negotiate a separate agreement. Talks have been set down for the ports of Auckland and Onehunga on August 23 and 24. The abolition of the W.I.C. would lead to workers being employed on a permanent contract rather than the present pool system, Mr Button said. Port-by-port agree-

ments would meet the needs and requirements of the individual ports and bring the industry into line with other industries. “The needs and requirements in each port will vary quite markedly. 11 “We are in a situation how where the union has decided to reject the employers’ claim in the Port of Tauranga. It is still early days yet.” The union’s national secretary, Mr Sam Jennings, said the union had made it clear to the employers that it would not discuss port-by-port agreements. Dates had been set for talks on the general principle order (G.P.0.), the watersiders’ national award, and the union would focus on those discussions. Talks on the G.P.O. are scheduled for August 7 and 8 in Wellington.