Auckland board members weigh in on port dispute

The council-controlled owners of Ports of Auckland are standing by the company's efforts to outsource work on the waterfront, despite criticism from local board members representing large chunks of the city.

Representatives from 10 of Auckland's 21 local boards have joined forces to oppose Ports of Auckland's plan to sack up to 320 wharfies and replace them with contract workers.

In a joint statement, 28 board members have urged the port to drop its contracting out plans and return to good faith bargaining with the Maritime Union.

Michael Wood, board member for Puketapapa which covers the Auckland suburbs of Three Kings, Lynfield and Hillsborough, issued the statement on behalf of the other representatives.

They felt the dispute was getting out of hand, he said.

A few alarm bells were ringing about what appeared to be a pre-determined strategy to privatise the port, when the mayor had said the port would remain in public hands.

Internal port strategy documents released last week by the union show that port management was considering a contracting out strategy well in advance of negotiations.

However, Simon Allen, chairman of council investment arm Auckland Council Investments, said it supported port chief executive Tony Gibson's moves to contract out workers.

It was misplaced to talk about improvements to the port's operational efficiency alongside discussions on privatisation, he said.

''Our stance all along has been that there is no mandate for privitisation - it's a red herring and should be seen as such.''

The current industrial dispute on the waterfront was part of a long decisionmaking process by the port's board and management, he said.

''The company has a duty to operate in an efficient way and the executive and board are working through the process. We are focused on the strategic plan and outputs required to bring this organisation in to a performance area for stakeholders.''

Port management had overwhelming support for their plans from their customers, Allen said.

Wood said the wharfies' dispute might be part of a commercial process but the port was owned by a democratically elected council. Port directors were completely accountable to the mayor and council, and that needed to be respected, he said.

The boards represented on the joint statement are:

Albert-Eden

Maungakiekie-Tamaki

Waitemata

Mangere-Otahuhu

Otara-Papatoetoe

Puketapapa

Whau

Kaipataki

Waitakere Ranges

Waiheke

- © Fairfax NZ News