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Freight carriers expect a hectic few days delivering a backlog of export goods to the Auckland waterfront after dock workers return this morning from their 48-hour strike.
There is also uncertainty about how fast the 265 workers will return to normal work, given a ban by Ports of
Auckland on their use of company carparks during the strike, which was to end at 6.59am.
"There might be a bit of a snarl-up because of the company locking us out of its amenities and carparks," Maritime Union branch president Denis Carlisle warned late yesterday.
But company spokeswoman Karen Bradshaw said parks at the two container terminals would be open from 6am, despite earlier notice to the union that a police trespass authority would cover the entire strike period.
She said the security manager had told the union the gates would be open from 6am, although she accepted it would be the workers' choice to wait until the strike was officially over.
The port would also put on extra cargo straddle-carriers to minimise delays for trucks bringing export consignments to the waterfront.
She praised the workers for strenuous efforts throughout the night before the strike to load a container ship for an early departure on Tuesday, and had "every faith" they would return to normal productivity this morning.
But Chris Carr, of trucking firm Carr and Haslett, expected it would take some time for the port and its workers to get back into full swing.
"I don't think we'll have the most co-operative straddle-carrier work-force. I'm not saying the guys will be belligerent for the sake of it - but after a two-day strike I think they will be off their edge."
Mr Carr said turnaround times for container traffic were generally very fast, although the threat of two "rolling" strikes in the next fortnight might make it desirable for the port company to delay plans to introduce a new truck booking system on October 15.
He and fellow members of a port users group appointed by the Road Transport Forum were considering seeking a delay at a meeting with the company tomorrow.
They did not share the company's optimism that strikes due to last for three hours and 15 minutes next Tuesday and then eight days after that would have only minimal impact.
Simon Tapper of Tapper Transport said his firm had a backlog of about 150 export containers at its Onehunga depot and he expected a "demon day" on the waterfront today.
Ms Bradshaw said the company would make every effort to reach a settlement before the next strike, timed to start at 10am on Tuesday.
Mr Carlisle said union officials had taken advice from an undisclosed quarter yesterday over "a possible way through the impasse" in pay talks but it was too early to disclose details.
The union has sought a pay rise of 4.5 per cent to 4.9 per cent, and denies a company assertion that other allowances will boost the labour bill by 10 to 15 per cent.
It is angry the company deposited an offered pay rise of 3.25 per cent into workers' bank accounts without their permission, and that it has refused to provide backpay from the expiry late last year of the previous agreement.
Mr Carlisle earlier accused the port company of being "mischievous" in suggesting 80 per cent of the striking workers earned more than $70,000 a year, without saying they would have to put in long hours to do so.
A company background paper shows gross annual earnings ranging from $40,000 to $50,000 for two employees who worked an average of 37 hours a week in the year to June 30, to more than $150,000 to one worker for a weekly average of 57 hours.
The largest group between those extremes, representing 24 per cent of strikers, were said to have earned $80,001 to $90,000 for a weekly average of 44 hours.
