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Welcome to the Rail and Maritime Transport Union Online
The RMTU is a union for transport workers in which all members have equal rights, whatever their job.
With rapid change, and increasing competition in the transport industry it is important that workers are protected by a strong, well-resourced union, specialising in all aspects of the transport industry; rail, road and ports.
The structure of the RMTU gives you the opportunity to be fully involved in a democratic union as collective decisions are made which may affect your job and conditions of employment.
You have the opportunity to elect your workplace union representative (delegate), as well as branch and national union representatives. You have a voice at all levels of the RMTU.
RMTU Health & Safety -
Click here to go to the RMTU / KIWIRAIL H&S page
Click here to download this Save Our Trains poster
Latest Media Releases
Rail Union condemns Te Huia Auckland Ban
Rail and Maritime Transport Union Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17th July 2023
The Union representing rail workers says an order from rail regulator Waka Kotahi that effectively shuts down Te Huia from Papakura into Auckland is over the top and makes no sense.
Waka Kotahi issued a Section 28 notice under the Railways Act last week to KiwiRail which prohibits the Hamilton to Auckland regional passenger train service, Te Huia, from entering the Auckland suburban passenger network.
Waka Kotahi believe Te Huia needs to be fitted with an additional safety feature – the European Train Control system (ETCS) – before it can travel through the Auckland suburban passenger network.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union General Secretary Todd Valster says this is an unjustified reaction by the regulator to recent operating incidents that are still under investigation.
He says the only trains currently fitted with ETCS in New Zealand are the Auckland suburban passenger electric multiple units.
Mr Valster says the Wellington to Auckland passenger train, Northern Explorer, is not fitted with ETCS and it runs through the Auckland suburban network, nor are the freight services that travel the Auckland network fitted with ETCS.
He says the entire Wellington suburban passenger network services and the Lower North Island regional passenger services are not fitted with ETCS either.
“Why is Te Huia being singled out for this unworkable decision?”
Installing an ETCS system is not a short term project, and threatens the existence of the Te Huia service, he says.
He says the solution is for Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail to work together to find a workable solution that addresses concerns but keeps Te Huia in full operation.
Mr Valster says rail workers involved in recent operating incidents are professional drivers and recent media coverage has been very derogatory towards them.
He says the media and regulator need to understand these incidents are still under investigation with causation not yet established.
“Our rail workers do not go to work to have operating incidents but when an incident occurs, it is very distressing for them.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Rail and Maritime Transport Union General Secretary Todd Valster on mobile 0274454691
Click here to download this media release
Port workers back port health and Safety Plan
Maritime Union of New Zealand/Rail and Maritime Transport Union Joint Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15th March 2023
Unions representing port workers say a new port health and safety plan is a good start to making New Zealand ports safer workplaces.
The Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan was launched at Centreport in Wellington today.
The plan was the result of the collaboration of the Port Health and Safety Leadership Group which is made up of unions, ports and stevedoring companies, the Port Industry Association, Maritime NZ and WorkSafe. The PHSLG advises the Minister of Transport.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union Acting General Secretary Todd Valster says the plan brings together a range of information on what is behind serious harm incidents in ports.
He says good progress has been made by the PHSLG and part of the success was that workers voices were being listened to.
Mr Valster says Maritime New Zealand has played a proactive role in developing the plan.
He says some key employers in the industry are showing better leadership on health and safety as well.
“This plan gives us another tool to make New Zealand ports safe workplaces.”
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says some of the key aspects of the plan are locking in fatigue guidelines and an Approved Code of Practice for port operations.
He says unions have been advocating for these actions for many years.
Mr Harrison says there have been many examples of port workers being killed or seriously hurt on the job in recent years and change could not come soon enough.
“We have many large exporters and importers in New Zealand who we would like to see look at their supply chain practices and demand high standards from their stevedoring contractors.”
Mr Harrison says there is strong appreciation from port and maritime workers for the programme that Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety, and Minister of Transport, Michael Wood has driven forward recently in port safety.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Rail and Maritime Transport Union Acting General Secretary Todd Valster on mobile 0274454691
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison on mobile 027 422 5238
Click here to download this media release
Port workers reject 'privitisation' roadmap for Lytttelton Port Company
Maritime Union of New Zealand/Rail and Maritime Transport Union Joint Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, 2nd December 2022
Workers at Ports of Lyttelton have strongly rejected an attack on their work in a privatisation report to the Christchurch City Council.
LPC workers are members of the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU).
A report on Christchurch City Holdings Limited and its companies compiled by Northington Partners was released this week.
The report states LPC is underperforming – and suggests this is due to a “highly unionised workforce.”
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there are around six hundred port workers in Lyttelton who deliver to the people of Christchurch and Canterbury, the majority being LPC employees.
Despite the report stating productivity issues are ‘outside scope’ and were ‘not analysed’, it offers a view based on ‘initial observations and stakeholder feedback.’
No sources for these observations or feedback are provided.
Mr Harrison says this is unacceptable.
He says a reference to the Port of Tauranga as a preferred employment model shows an absolute lack of understanding of serious problems in the ports industry.
Mr Harrison says the outsourcing employment model at Port of Tauranga has had very poor outcomes for workers.
“One of the worst impacts has been employees of contracting stevedores having unhealthy and dangerous shift patterns, which has disrupted family life, health and safety.”
“The implied support in the report for contracting out labour – obviously to reduce wages and conditions – contradicts the Corporate Social Responsibility model that CCHL organizations must abide by.”
Mr Harrison says these contracting out issues have been widely covered in the media and recognised nationally in 2022 in two ways.
A recent Employment Court decision requires a large private stevedore in Tauranga to change its operations to acknowledge workers ‘availability’ to protect their work/life balance and right to family life.
In addition, the national ports industry has just announced national ports health and safety guidelines which focus on the impact of fatigue due to shift work.
Rail and Maritime Transport Union General Secretary Todd Valster says he is unimpressed with the logic used the report which is clearly a roadmap for privatisation.
“We need to maintain our local assets and defend them against the privatisation agenda.”
Mr Valster says the report makes an error in trying to draw simplistic comparisons between Lyttelton and other ports like Tauranga, when size and many other variables influence outcomes.
“It is dangerous when people without a deep knowledge of the ports industry start setting themselves up as experts in port productivity.”
Mr Valster says the primary outcome for a port must always be whether it is serving its purpose as key infrastructure.
“The benefits LPC provides as a reliable import/export hub for industry are enormous.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison on mobile 027 4225238
Rail and Maritime Transport Union General Secretary Todd Valster on mobile 027 4454691
Click here to download this media release
Click here to download more media releases
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