'Toot for support' rally photo from New Zealand, March 2012. Dawn Des Brisay photo.

'Toot for support' rally photo from New Zealand, March 2012. Dawn Des Brisay photo.


The bitter industrial dispute between the Ports of Auckland and the Maritime Union heads to the Employment Court this morning for a private conference ahead of a fuller public hearing next week.

A legally enforced ceasefire late on Thursday brought some respite in the standoff, with a minute from Judge Barry Travis confirming that Ports of Auckland had agreed not to sack stevedores or engage contractors before this morning’s proceedings.

Garry Parsloe, president of the Maritime Union, said apart from a peaceful picket over the weekend there was little the union could say.

“We’re very happy with the outcome [from the judge],” he said.

“It puts the brakes on the company’s attacks on those workers and we’re looking forward to the settlement conference.”

On March 10 thousands of people marched from Auckland’s waterfront in support of port workers. The prime minister also waded into the dispute that day saying he expected most of the port workers would be re-employed by the port as part of a casualised work force.

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