Port of Auckland workers will be on the streets outside the Auckland Town Hall today showing their support for keeping Port of Auckland in council ownership.
The full council will be meeting at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 28 March, in the first meeting since consultation started on the Long Term Plan which includes the Mayor’s proposal for privatising Port of Auckland.
The consultation period for the Long Term Plan 2024–2034 closes on 28 March.
A delegation of approximately fifty port workers who are members of the Maritime Union of New Zealand will be bussing in to hold a vigil outside the Town Hall as Councillors arrive from between 8am–10am.
Maritime Union of New Zealand Local 13 Secretary Grant Williams says the Maritime Union and port workers are strongly opposed to the privatization of the Port which would result in handing over a key asset to a private monopoly and would come at great cost to Aucklanders.
Mr Williams says he is concerned the Mayor has not released a report on the economic viability of a port sale that was supplied to the Council by economist Craig Renney.
He says all relevant information must be available to ratepayers.
Mr Williams says there is growing concern from many groups and individual citizens about the Mayor’s proposal and Councillors needed to listen to the views of Aucklanders.
