Stevedores wait for job news

ROGER MORONEY
Stevedores at the Port of Napier are in a waiting game situation amidst talk of possible cuts in cargo handling numbers.
While management at the Hawke's Bay Stevedoring company were making no comment, Maritime Union chief Trevor Hansen confirmed today from Wellington that negotiations had been taking place over the past month with Southern Cross Stevedoring, which operates stevedoring companies throughout the country.
Mr Hansen said while negotiations were taking place he was not prepared to speculate on what the companies were looking to do in terms of rationalisation of their industry.
However, he did say the industry was in a mode of downsizing due to a large increase in containerisation and other issues.
One port employee who did not want to be named said he believed about a third of the local company's staff could be affected and that there was talk of reduced hours contracts.
Mr Hansen said no one had lost their jobs at this stage and he was not prepared to speculate on the core of the negotiations taking place.