About half of the workers at Lyttelton Port will go on strike at midnight, after last-ditch negotiations over pay and safety failed.
Port Lyttelton workers protest over pay and safety last Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Alex Harmer
Representatives from the port company and Rail and Maritime Transport Union met this morning, to try to avert the strike by 200 union workers at the port.
Union organiser John Kerr said the port company flatly rejected options they presented to achieve a settlement.
They had issued strike notices for 13 consecutive days, starting tonight at midnight, Mr Kerr said.
Lyttelton Port Company said it was disappointed that about half of its workers would go on strike from midnight tonight, after negotiations over pay and safety failed.
The port company refused to pay about 70 members for some scheduled shifts last week, after strike action was delayed as a guesture of goodwill, Mr Kerr said.
He said refusing to pay workers who had called off strike action was senseless.
"That has really got in the way of doing a deal, we've said any deal has got to include those member's pay being restored to them and the company have flatly refused to do that."
But a Port Company spokesperson said the union withdrew strike notices too late last week, leaving the wharves empty on Friday.
The spokesperson said the union was arguing that workers should be paid to come to the port and do nothing.
