Ports of Auckland

**merv** · 12th March 2012, 18:56

No, but I am wondering about true motivation of its owners (Council). It would be worth a fortune as commercial/residential property.

It has already been said that this dispute is chasing customers to other ports and rail serving the inland metro-port ex Tauranga to South Auckland would take all those heavy loads away from the city.

One minute they are talking of the need to expand the Port into the beautiful harbour, next minute they have a dispute, expansion not needed, land freed up for development - job done. The only loser, the workers and their jobs.

**rainman** · 12th March 2012, 19:10

Originally Posted by Maha

How do you like the 40hr week ? ..Haven't done that in years..

Morning and afternoon smoko,lunch time? ..nup, dont do that either, get work done, go home.

Holidays and sick days? ...whats that? harden up and work through, its only a cold.

Next time you have monday off on Labour Day, remember what's it's about. ...its always fucking raining.

Fuck that's a bit depressing. Has it ever occurred to you that there's a better way to live?

**Maha** · 12th March 2012, 19:14

Originally Posted by rainman

Fuck that's a bit depressing. Has it ever occurred to you that there's a better way to live?

Than what?....living and working how I want to?...yeah its tough.

**JimO** · 12th March 2012, 20:03

Originally Posted by rainman

Fuck that's a bit depressing. Has it ever occurred to you that there's a better way to live?

go on the dole, sleep all day, go out and do a few bergs at night

**Macontour** · 12th March 2012, 21:37

A mate of mine works for one of the other stevedoring companies there and is on over $80k p.a. He works long hours but loves the call backs and so on. I work pretty bloody hard is a low paying job, have a lot of time away from my family, work all sorts of weird hours, early starts and late finishes, any day of the week can be a work day and I am lucky to earn $40k for the year.

But that is how it is. I should have gone to uni I guess but I don't mind working hard.

These strikers that want an extra $50-100 a week in their pockets and give up $1500 a week for ages....do they ever stop to think how long it will take just to recoup what they have missed out on?

My first Boss used to say if you could afford to go out on strike you were earning too much!!! Probably best Boss I ever had, he actually used to treat us better than a Union would have.

I actually thought the bad old days of strikes were long gone. Us older ones well remember when the Stewards would all go out just before the school holidays and the "new" Mangere Bridge sitting idle for about 2 years while the "workers" earned nothing except what other Union members "donated" to the cause.

And all the Union bosses seemed to be Poms, calling everyone Comrades or Brothers and Sisters. Its happening again.

Everyone is working harder for their$$$ now, get over it!!

**Usarka** · 13th March 2012, 13:04

Originally Posted by merv

No, but I am wondering about true motivation of its owners (Council). It would be worth a fortune as commercial/residential property.

I think it was Metiria Turei on the radio this morning who suggested that SOE companies with casualised labour fetch a much higher price if/when privatised.

**Paul in NZ** · 13th March 2012, 13:21

I reckon if we started contracting out management and councillors jobs on an 'as required' basis with a healthy performance penalty thrown in things would be very different.

Nah! This isnt about workers rights or productivity or any of the normal industrial dispute stuff, there is something stinky or just plain odd about all this....

**Zedder** · 13th March 2012, 14:00

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

I reckon if we started contracting out management and councillors jobs on an 'as required' basis with a healthy performance penalty thrown in things would be very different.

Nah! This isnt about workers rights or productivity or any of the normal industrial dispute stuff, there is something stinky or just plain odd about all this....

Do you think the rest of the drama is a smoke screen and eventual privatisation is the agenda? Like the SOEs (Sell Off Everything)?

**Paul in NZ** · 13th March 2012, 14:16

I really don't know but this just does not seem like a regular industrial dispute to me.

There is a lot of very dubious information and the media seems reluctant to dig very deeply into the why of it.

In short - yes, there is every chance this is about relocating the Port or devaluing it or something. Its like something else is driving it. I can't believe these guys are nutty enough to turn down $80K a year for 26hours a week and I can't believe a management team would let a business that size go idle that long for a few bucks.

Somethings wrong with this whole thing - it smells funny....

**ElCoyote** · 13th March 2012, 14:23

I actually thought the bad old days of strikes were long gone. Us older ones well remember when the Stewards would all go out just before the school holidays and the "new" Mangere Bridge sitting idle for about 2 years while the "workers" earned nothing except what other Union members "donated" to the cause.

And all the Union bosses seemed to be Poms, calling everyone Comrades or Brothers and Sisters. Its happening again.

Bring out the Army and let's have 1931 all over again.

Ps: Mangere translates to lazy, that sort of sums it up.

**Paul in NZ** · 13th March 2012, 14:54

I got to admit as soon as some one calls me 'comrade' I start packing for an extended visit to a gulag.....

**BoristheBiter** · 13th March 2012, 15:16

Originally Posted by Motu

Nearly everyone I talk to these days has no idea of the Unions and strikes of the '60's and '70's. The way they solved that (apart from National banning Unions) was to contract out work. Lay off Telecom linesmen,(and big redundancy) and put them on contract. Petrol tanker drivers were a real problem, until the oil companies practically gave them the trucks so they could go owner driver...end of problem. Sure contractors can earn big money, but when there is no work, there is no income.

I'm not a union supporter, but I can see it from both sides. Before you run down Unions - how do you like the 40hr week ? Morning and afternoon smoko,lunch time? Holidays and sick days? Next time you have monday off on Labour Day, remember what's it's about.

Yep, back in the days when there was no employment act. there is now an employments act covering all workers rights. these strikes are about getting more money.

The Union is an old Dinosaur and died years ago, it just hasn't realized it yet.

**Zedder** · 13th March 2012, 15:46

Originally Posted by BoristheBiter

Yep, back in the days when there was no employment act. there is now an employments act covering all workers rights. these strikes are about getting more money.

The Union is an old Dinosaur and died years ago, it just hasn't realized it yet.

Yep indeed!

**avgas** · 13th March 2012, 16:08

Originally Posted by Motu

I'm not a union supporter, but I can see it from both sides. Before you run down Unions - how do you like the 40hr week ? Morning and afternoon smoko,lunch time? Holidays and sick days? Next time you have monday off on Labour Day, remember what's it's about.

\
Remind me again which union pushed for the 4 weeks holiday?
Increased mental health leave?
Kiwisaver?

and that is just in the last 5-7 years.......

Unions are just like communism. The ideal is perfect and harmonious........the people running it are cocks and dictators. Likewise Labour day started due to a carpenter in wellington standing on his own........then the others followed. So really the moral should be if you want something done, do it yourself - not cry to a union about it. Plenty of other jobs out there, and plenty of people to replace you with.

Don't even get me started about career bases associations. IPENZ make my blood boil.