14 June 2010
For immediate release

Murray McCully and Phil Heatley need to get their priorities right says SFWU
 
Murray McCully and Phil Heatley need to get their priorities right, says Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota Assistant National Secretary Neville Donaldson.
 
He says a media statement released on Friday [10 June] by Minister McCully makes some very good points in relation to what our Pacific neighbours should be doing in relation to training and employment creation in the Fishing industry, but it falls short of addressing the key issues facing the industry.
 
“This Government are remaining supportive of New Zealand companies sacking New Zealand workers and either replacing them with foreign crew or Foreign Joint venture Boats and crew or exporting the fish to China for further processing,” says Neville Donaldson.
 
“This sort of hypocrisy must be challenged and is the very reason the SFWU has launched a petition calling for an inquiry in to the fishing industry.”
 
“If this government is genuine then why not offer to sponsor a fishing industry training academy in New Zealand to train both New Zealand and Pacific workers to fill the employment opportunities in the industry both land based and at sea?”
 
“Why not regulate in conjunction with our Pacific neighbours a requirement to employ local workers when harvesting or processing is being undertaken? And why not regulate the requirement to process all fish caught in within the country administering the fishery?”
 
It’s time this Government started practicing what it preaches” says Neville Donaldson.
 
ENDS
 

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