Mediation has failed to resolve a dispute between the Ports of Auckland and the Maritime Union. More strike action is about to begin.
Union members intend to strike on Friday, Christmas Day and also 30 December for 48-hours.
The dispute is over a collective contract.
Union national president Garry Parsloe says Ports of Auckland has been inflexible.
Ports company chief executive Tony Gibson says Christmas is a busy time and the port will be forced to use trucks to transport containers during the strikes.
Call for striking workers to be laid off
The Importers Institute is calling for Ports of Auckland to lay off striking Maritime Union workers.
Institute secretary Daniel Silva says the port company should make the union workers redundant and start again with private contractors.
He says importers should not be dependant on a single union which can bring the port to a complete collapse.
Mr Silva says it is time to break the strike before the action dents the confidence of the business community and hits people in the pocket.
