Lyttelton Port restructure clears legal hurdle, 14 jobs to go
Friday, 15 May 2026
Lyttelton Port’s container terminal restructure is proceeding after the Maritime Union decided not to pursue a Supreme Court challenge, with the union saying 14 workers have lost their jobs.
MUNZ national secretary Carl Findlay said the union was not taking the case to the Supreme Court at this stage, after the Court of Appeal refused to hear a further appeal.
The decision leaves standing the Employment Court’s finding that LPC complied with its collective agreement obligations when developing the restructure proposal.
Findlay said 24 foreman roles had been lost under the restructure. Ten roles had been redistributed through the terminal, while 14 workers had lost their jobs, he said.
The port did not directly respond to MUNZ’s figures on roles lost or workers losing employment.
LPC chief people and capability officer Nigel Foster said the company was pleased with the Court of Appeal decision.
“The changes introduced at the Lyttelton Container Terminal have established a clear and consistent leadership structure,” Foster said.
“This structure is designed to promote better health and safety performance and improve efficiency.”
The dispute centred on how much consultation LPC owed unions before developing a proposal to restructure its container terminal operations.
MUNZ argued LPC should have engaged with the union while developing the restructure, rather than consulting after a proposal had been formed.
The Employment Relations Authority initially found in the union’s favour, but the Employment Court overturned that decision. The Court of Appeal then declined MUNZ leave to appeal on April 29, saying the proposed appeal was about the interpretation of specific collective agreement clauses rather than a wider legal question of general or public importance.
Foster said the changes were developed as part of LPC’s focus on safety and operational effectiveness, and aimed to provide clearer leadership, improved communication, stronger support for staff development and career opportunities.
Findlay said MUNZ remained concerned safety was being compromised for productivity, claiming the restructure replaced experienced on-the-job forepersons with people who had less industry experience.
He said the matter would be discussed at the union’s national council, and claimed the decision had wider implications for collective and individual employment agreements.
There are two unions at Lyttelton Port. MUNZ mainly represents waterfront and maritime workers, while the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) is a broader transport union covering rail, freight and port workers.
MUNZ is negotiating a new collective agreement with LPC for cargo handlers, while RMTU is negotiating separately for its members. A separate multi-union agreement covering about 20 logistics officers is in mediation.
The court case is separate from LPC’s proposed Te Awaparahi Bay expansion, but comes as the city-owned port faces wider questions about the future shape of its container terminal, including capacity, larger ships, efficiency and how the port will be run.