New Zealand Union members will refuse to work Japanese Ships

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New Zealand Union members will refuse to work

Japanese Ships

 

 

>Press Release: Maritime Union of New Zealand

>

>Maritime Union of New Zealand media release FOR

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

>Thursday 12 January 2006

>

>Maritime Union members will refuse to work Japanese

ships.

>

>The Maritime Union says its members will refuse to

work with any

Japanese

>ship involved in whaling that visits a New Zealand

port.

>

>Maritime Union General Secretary Trevor Hanson says

the Union supports

the

>two environmental groups Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd

in their attempts

to

>end Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean.

>

>Mr Hanson says the escalating situation increased the

potential for

Japanese

>ships and planes involved in the whaling operation to

visit New

Zealand.

>

> " Maritime unionists will not be working those ships. "

>

>He says the Maritime Union sees the whaling issue as

a part of a wider

>maritime crisis with overfishing, exploitation of

maritime workers and

" flag

>of convenience " shipping.

>

>Mr Hanson says that when the polite approach fails,

the use of non-

violent

>direct action is the best method.

>

> " In many cases the exploitation of the maritime

environment goes hand

in

>hand with the mistreatment of maritime workers, but

because it is out

of

>sight, out of mind off the coast, it is easy to

ignore. "

>

>He says the New Zealand Government should send a

frigate to observe

and

>provide moral support for the protests.

>

> " The Japanese whalers are trying to bluff their way

through, but a

strong

>united message now could be the final push needed to

end this

practice. " >

>ENDS

>

>http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/40660/index.php

>

>