Port union says it was left in the dark over $800 million Lyttelton upgrade
But that's rejected by Lyttelton Port Company's chief executive who says "we've taken our staff along with us the whole way".
The South Island's largest port, operated by Lyttelton Port Company (LPC), is facing criticism from its own union after being accused of withholding information about an $800 million upgrade plan. Despite CEO Graeme Sumner claiming that the workforce was briefed several months ago, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) insists they were not kept informed throughout the process.
The $821 million project involves expanding the container terminal, building a new 388-metre deepwater wharf at Te Awahui Bay, and installing new machinery to handle larger vessels. Sumner explained that 92 percent of today's ships cannot fit into Lyttelton Harbour, and without the expansion, they would be unable to arrive. While the company plans to create 50-100 new jobs during construction and maintain current staffing levels in the long term, union officials have expressed concerns over the level of transparency and the potential impact of increased automation on their members.
The project is primarily funded through additional borrowing and an equity contribution from CCHL, which already holds a significant debt of $202 million.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
