Lyttelton Port chief caught on camera skiing, striking workers disrupt rail traffic

Thursday, 22 March 2018

Striking Lyttelton Port workers held a protest at both ends of the Lyttelton rail tunnel, to get their message across to Lyttelton Port Company that the dispute needs to be resolved.

Photographs have emerged of Lyttelton Port chief executive Peter Davie on a skiing holiday in central Europe, while striking workers prepare for more picketing.

The Facebook pictures have inflamed an already acrimonious dispute with Rail and Maritime Transport Union members who marched towards the Lyttelton rail and road tunnels on Thursday before agreeing with police not to enter them.

'It's pretty clear now when we go into negotiations in the morning and the negotiators are unable to respond, it's because they're awaiting instructions from Peter Davie who's tucked up asleep in a chalet in the Austrian Alps,' union organiser John Kerr said.

Lyttelton Port chief executive Peter Davie on a break during his European trip.

Davie will be back in Christchurch on Monday when the port is due to reopen after a five-day stoppage, but before he returns the workers will vote on whether to take further industrial action.

* Port company firm, businesses make contingency plans for next five days

* Lyttelton Port workers gear up to strike on Tuesday night

* Lyttelton port to lose more from shut down than paying docked wages

* Lyttelton strike deferred after last-chance talks yield progress**

In a prepared statement released on Thursday, Lyttelton Port chairman Trevor Burt said Davie had been meeting with overseas clients reassuring them about the situation at Lyttelton, and outlining future service developments.

'On completing these meetings, he was due for some leave. However, during this time he has remained almost constantly in touch with the negotiating team, myself and the board while continuing to lead all aspects of our contingency planning and response to the industrial action.

'Peter is scheduled to be back in our Waterfront House head office Monday. He is currently en route to New Zealand.'

Union organiser Kerr said Davie had never been directly involved in negotiations because North Island-based industrial specialist consultant Paul Weaver had taken over the primary negotiating role from Lyttelton Port's local industrial relations manager Marius Oosthuizen.

Wheeler's company website, Weaver & Weaver, shows he has given advice on negotiations and restructuring to companies such as DB Breweries, Mercury Energy, Forman Group, Frucor, and Carter Holt Harvey.

Lyttelton Port has rejected Rail and Maritime Transport Union members' requests for pay parity with the other main union at the port, the Maritime Union of New Zealand.

The company wants the striking workers to agree to more flexible rosters, which the union sayscompromises safety.

Kerr said workers could operating heavy machinery in all weather for up to 16 hours in 24.

Straddle crane driver Laurie Collins, who has won two awards from WorkSafe recently, said rostering safety should be the first thing to settle before anything else.

The union members have offered several other bargaining options but the port company has not engaged over them, Kerr said.

Members had therefore decided to hold a ballot on further industrial action to resolve the dispute, and that would occur at meetings over the next couple of days.

Workers have also expressed their displeasure via a leaflet drop in the letterboxes around the homes of port board members outlining their side of the dispute.

Kerr said the port company had made a deal with the other union on site and refused to extend it to his members.

'They've made changes to the hours of work at the port which increase the risk of fatigue. And they're refusing to budge, despite us meeting with them multiple times and providing up to eight different options to resolve this dispute,' said Kerr.

Port workers marched on the road and rail tunnels linking the port to the rest of the region to highlight the importance of the work they did, and the impact the dispute was having.

'Lyttelton Port is vital to the economy and businesses of Canterbury. The port company has put that at risk by openly disrespecting the workers who keep the port running, and by rejecting every offer we put to them,' Kerr said.