‘Recovery threatened’

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 3

‘Recovery threatened’

By

CULLEN SMITH

Watersiders, striking until Monday over an award impasse on port reform, are risking the country’s economic recovery, says a high-powered employer’s group.

The New Zealand Chambers of Commerce

“top tier” business group — which links the Employers’ Federation, Federated Farmers, Manufacturers’ Federation, Retail and Wholesale Merchants’ Association and the Tourist Industry Federation — has accused watersiders of acting irresponsibly in disrupting exports and imports. The latest national stoppage from yesterday came at a time when New Zealand’s economy had an opportunity to recover after five years of pain and structural adjustment,, a group spokesman, Mr’ Michael Greene, said yesterday. “If New Zealand loses valuable markets because

of the union’s actions the fragile economic recovery will stall with increased unemployment as a result,” said Mr Greene, the chairman of the Chambers of Commerce. The business community was united in its determination that the waterfront industry must be reformed. “Current waterfront reforms are a once only

chance to make the ports efficient and to lower

costs for the country’s trading lifeline,” Mr Greene said. The latest strike action — from 7 a.m. yesterday until Monday — was not unexpected. "Obviously we’re seriously concerned because of the quite devastating effect this is having on both exporters and importers,” he said. “They seem determined for confrontation, which we find quite remarkable in light of the very generous redundancy agreements being made for watersiders “They seem to be making no recognition of this whatsoever,” Mr Greene said.

Watersiders went out for four days, stranding about 77 ships in ports throughout the country from 7 a.m. yesterday in support for “meaningful” talks on their stalled award and port reform. The national secretary of the Waterfront Workers’ Union, Mr Sam Jennings, would not rule out further action if there was no response from

employers at the weekend.

Watersiders exempted kiwifruit exports from the strike at the request of the Kiwifruit Marketing Board after reports of growers facing insolvency. But Mr Jennings said Tauranga stevedoring companies rejected the offer, pushing for a confrontation. Any loss of exports would be at the companies’ risk. He also accused employers of using “an old p10y... stress and fear” in sending watersiders a letter warning that unless they signed a blank job application form, they could be laid off from September 30 when the next phase of the Government’s waterfront reform

programme takes effect. From October 1 the Waterfront Industry Commission, which administers a port labour pool, goes out of existence, leaving the way clear for individual port bargaining as urged by employers. But watersiders are pressing for at least a skeleton national award, with clauses covering particular port practices.