Port workers put safety first - union

Workers at the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) have taken a pragmatic stance to ensure safety for workers and the environment, according to the Rail and Maritime Union.

The comments come after a decision by the workers to deviate from their current overtime ban in order to deal with a critical health and safety after a ship, the FV Thomas Harrison, suffered engine failure and required emergency towing into port.

"The harbourmaster, the shipping agent and the workers all agreed that in this instance lifting the overtime ban was the best course of action", said Rail and Maritime Union Secretary Wayne Butson.

"It’s not in the interests of crew safety or environmental safety to have a disabled fishing vessel waiting outside the port to berth, it generates additional risks and ought to be brought in to port as soon as possible," said Wayne Butson.

"Health and safety sits at the heart of this dispute. LPC have presided over a high number of accidents and fatalities at the port, and in bargaining workers have taken a proactive stance by trying to create a consultative body to work on productivity and safety issues", he said.

"Management’s rejection of this proposal is the reason for the overtime ban. However workers decided that given the heightened risk in this situation an open, a pragmatic approach was required."

"Again, these workers have demonstrated that they are willing to put safety first and play fair. It’s a shame LPC can’t follow those same ideals."