An urgent meeting is expected to be held on Wednesday between the Government, unions and top port bosses. It comes as the Council of Trade Unions calls for an urgent inquiry following the second death of a port worker in a week.
1News understands Workplace Relations Minister Michael Wood will chair the meeting, where he’s expected to question port officials about the sector’s health and safety record.
In a statement, Wood said all New Zealanders should return from work safe and unharmed.
“My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the worker who lost his life in Lyttelton.
“While it is too early to determine what has occurred, I know people will be rightly concerned about the safety culture at our country’s ports.
“Two incidents in a week is unacceptable and in the coming days I will confirm what further steps the Government will take to minimise future harm at our ports,” Wood said.
CTU president Richard Wagstaff said the latest death was a tragedy and was “completely avoidable”.
READ MORE: Worker dies during coal loading operation at Lyttelton Port
He said safety standards need to be introduced for the sector.
“It needs to accelerate the work going on right now that’s looking into fatigue and working with the machinery.
“But I think it also need to really look at the systems of health and safety, what is the culture of work and what are the systems at play. There needs to be some standards around the different staffing levels, the different staffing arrangements,” Wagstaff said.
In the Lyttelton death, police, Maritime New Zealand and the Lyttelton Port Company are all looking into what went wrong.
Maritime Union National Secretary Craig Harrison said the man, who was on the brink of retirement, was found buried in coal on the deck of the ship, ETG Aquarius.
“It’s disturbing where a workers ended up under a load of coal and there should be a whole lot of work processes or controls in place.
“We can’t have a system where it’s a race to the bottom all the time,” Harrison said.
Lyttelton Port Company acting chief executive Kirstie Gardener has expressed “deep sadness and condolences” to the man’s family and his workmates.
She said support is in place for staff and their families, both onsite and available by phone 24/7.
The man’s family have asked for privacy.
Last Tuesday, Atiroa Tuaiti was killed working on a container ship at the Ports of Auckland.
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