KEY POINTS:
Auckland's port company expects four big container ships to be disrupted by a 24-hour strike from late tonight in a dispute which is stifling Christmas cheer on the waterfront.
One ship has already been diverted to other ports including Tauranga, and another will arrive ahead of schedule in
Auckland this morning, for as many containers as possible to be unloaded before up to 300 waterside workers go on strike at 10.59pm.
Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen said yesterday that two more ships would arrive during the strike, to be berthed by marine services staff not embroiled in a two-year-old pay dispute involving the stevedores.
But the vessels would have to wait until late tomorrow night before their cargoes could be unloaded, for key export orders such as dairy and meat products to be stacked aboard for world markets.
Mr Madsen was unable to estimate how much the dispute was costing the port, which was hit by five strikes last year, but was concerned at its impact on Auckland's reputation as well as losses and inconvenience to exporters and importers in difficult economic times.
"It is particularly disappointing because we have been doing a lot of good things to improve our productivity."
The company had made a third pay offer to the Maritime Union after two unsuccessful mediation sessions last week, a package he described as a "rollover plus".
As well as guaranteeing a 4 per cent backdated pay rise for the first year of a new agreement, and 4.5 per cent the following year, he believed it offered significant benefits to engineering staff and fulltime employment to 40 part-timers.
Union branch president Denis Carlisle said the pay was less of an issue than the company's insistence on using more casual workers on the first two days of each week, meaning permanent staff would have to work more weekends.
"If a casual bumps a permanent when there's a shift available, our blokes will never ever vote for it as long as their arse points to the ground," he said.
Mr Carlisle said the main aim of the strike was to give his members enough time to debate a multitude of issues, as well as hold an annual general meeting the union had postponed at the company's request.
Although a token picket would be held tonight, the union executive did not want it continuing for long, as members needed to be "fresh" enough for tomorrow's meeting. "There's some big decisions to be made and we need people to be in good form."
Adding to discontent has been a company decision not to hold a party for its general workforce this year, but to distribute gift hampers instead, and to provide a larger corporate tent than usual to entertain staff and their partners at the Christmas in the Park concert.
Mr Madsen said that was deemed fairer for shift workers unable to attend the traditional party, although the company had persevered with a Christmas function at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron headquarters for its customers to meet senior managers.
Despite the setting, he denied it was a "lavish" affair, and said it was good for business.
Mr Carlisle said his members were initially opposed to accepting the hampers, but then decided to put their names down for them, to distribute them to casual workers not automatically eligible for such gifts.
But he later welcomed advice relayed by the Herald that the company had decided to add a further 100 hampers for casual workers to its original order of 525 for the permanent workforce.
"So they've listened to the rank and file about looking after the lesser casuals. Well, at least that's something - Ports of Auckland are all heart."
