PoA Issues Lock-out Notice Despite Mediation Order

Troubled waters: Auckland has hit by industrial strife in recent months.

Earlier, representatives of PoA and the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) attended a judicial settlement conference earlier this week aimed at ending the ongoing dispute.

MUNZ workers have held several strikes during the past three months in a campaign against plans to outsource stevedoring and make almost 300 people redundant.

The New Zealand Employment Court released a statement confirming PoA would make no further redundancies nor employ or engage two private companies (Drake Personnel and Allied Workforce) to do the work of the MUNZ members.

MUNZ, meanwhile, has agreed to delay its application for an injunction against the redundancies.

“Bargaining continues under the auspices of the mediation service,” the Court statement read.

In a press release, PoA said it was encouraged by the judge to return to mediation and is doing so “in good faith”.

“POAL has agreed to halt contracting out for four weeks but the company has not in any way resiled from its position on contracting out (stevedoring),” a spokesperson said.

Union leaders said they were “thrilled” with the outcome and MUNZ president Garry Parsloe said workers can return to work on the terms of their collective agreement and concentrate on collective bargaining.

Mr Parsloe described the latest lock-out as “deeply disturbing”.

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