WELLINGTON, New Zealand – New Zealand’s Waterfront Workers Union could bring Ports of Auckland, the country’s main container port, to a four-day standstill in July if it goes ahead with two planned strikes. The union Wednesday told the port company it would strike on July 17 and 18 in addition to the 48-hour stoppage already planned for July 10 and 11.
Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Geoff Vazey said that despite the company’s eagerness to reach a settlement with the 280-member union, talks had not made any progress.
Meanwhile, the union had presented a new set of demands that would be difficult to reach agreement on within 14 days, he said.
“It seems the union leaders plan a series of rolling stoppages to demonstrate their muscle, and we can probably expect more strike notices to be given,” Vazey said in a statement to the New Zealand Stock Exchange.
The strike would cause a “extreme inconvenience” to the port’s customers and damage the company’s reputation, Vazey warned. It would also harm New Zealand producers and their employees, he said.
The company is working on contingency plans to keep as much of the port operational during the stoppages as possible, Vazey said. The union’s collective contract expired in December 1999.
Ports of Auckland Ltd. , (www.poal.co.nz), is the principal maritime gateway to New Zealand and operates the Port of Auckland in the Waitemata Harbor and the Port of Onehunga in the Manuakau Harbour. The two ports account for 50% of the country’s total container traffic.
