Mon, 12 Mar 2012 6:14p.m.
By Tony Field
An intervention by Auckland mayor Len Brown has failed it break the deadlock in the Auckland port dispute.
If anything, it has got uglier with police having to get involved at the picket lines today.
Police were called to the port after a complaint that non-union staff and truck drivers had been physically stopped from entering the port.
Management says staff were called ?scabs? and in one case a car driven by a woman was hit. The industrial action delayed a container ship as well as a cruise ship at a neighbouring wharf.
Ports of Auckland chairman Richard Pearson says if they have people breaking the law, then they have to respond, ?and that is something we will continue?.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand says its protest has been lawful.
Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly says there has been no intimidation.
?There has been a couple of these non-union workers who have driven very fast at the picket line and actually hit one of our people on that picket line,? she says.
Police told the picketers to let the vehicles through but say no arrests were made.
While police watched the protestors, port and union leaders gathered at the town hall.
PoA chief executive Tony Gibson says they have made a decision but would also like to hear what the other parties have got to say about ?how we move forward together?.
They had been invited by the Auckland mayor, who was criticised by the union last week for not doing more to end the dispute.
Maritime union president Garry Parsloe says Mr Brown wants to have the feud resolved.
?We are going in there today to do our very, very best to get this resolved and to get the workers jobs back,? he says.
After three hours of talks the mayor emerged to say there was still no breakthrough.
?I have asked them to exercise restraint in the way they deal with each other and respect the rule of law on the waterfront.?
The union says that is not good enough.
?Frankly we didn?t get enough signals from the mayor that he will back these workers and we want more,? says Ms Kelly. ?And we have put that challenge to him.?
There are no plans for the two sides to meet again.
3 News
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