Dockers’ unions worldwide have been showing their support for workers at the Ports of Auckland, New Zealand, as the dispute over job security and conditions there continues. Members of the ITF-affiliated Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) have been out on strike for the last week as they continue to call on management at Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) to offer employees a fair deal and abandon alleged plans to contract out work to casual workers. In a display of solidarity, which coincides with the start of more negotiations between MUNZ and POAL on 1 March, workers in the UK and Belgium have displayed banners and placards with slogans including ‘Fighting for a fair deal, we support Auckland workers!’ and ‘Auckland Port belongs to the People’. Meanwhile the ITF has taken a flag signed by inspectors and members of staff directly to workers in Auckland to further highlight the ground swell of support for dockers fighting to protect the future of their jobs. ITF general secretary David Cockroft said: “The trade union community is standing firmly beside Auckland workers in this dispute. They are fighting to secure their livelihoods, it’s as simple as that. Unions all over the world are expressing solidarity and the longer management lets this dispute run on, the more of that kind of solidarity action they can expect to see.”Meanwhile the Maritime Union of Australia has pledged total support to workers at the Ports of Auckland after a MUNZ delegation joined their conference in Sydney this week. MUNZ welcomed a resolution of support carried by the meeting, which officials said confirms that the Auckland port dispute is now on the global agenda for unions. Go to the dedicated ITF solidarity webpage for more on the background to this dispute. Dockers’ unions worldwide have been showing their support for workers at the Ports of Auckland, New Zealand, as the dispute over job security and conditions there continues. Members of the ITF-affiliated Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) have been out on strike for the last week as they continue to call on management at Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) to offer employees a fair deal and abandon alleged plans to contract out work to casual workers. In a display of solidarity, which coincides with the start of more negotiations between MUNZ and POAL on 1 March, workers in the UK and Belgium have displayed banners and placards with slogans including ‘Fighting for a fair deal, we support Auckland workers!’ and ‘Auckland Port belongs to the People’. Meanwhile the ITF has taken a flag signed by inspectors and members of staff directly to workers in Auckland to further highlight the ground swell of support for dockers fighting to protect the future of their jobs. ITF general secretary David Cockroft said: “The trade union community is standing firmly beside Auckland workers in this dispute. They are fighting to secure their livelihoods, it’s as simple as that. Unions all over the world are expressing solidarity and the longer management lets this dispute run on, the more of that kind of solidarity action they can expect to see.”Meanwhile the Maritime Union of Australia has pledged total support to workers at the Ports of Auckland after a MUNZ delegation joined their conference in Sydney this week. MUNZ welcomed a resolution of support carried by the meeting, which officials said confirms that the Auckland port dispute is now on the global agenda for unions. Go to the dedicated ITF solidarity webpage for more on the background to this dispute.
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