The father of the man who died at Ports of Auckland yesterday was working there when the tragedy unfolded.
Young father Atiroa Tuaiti had come to New Zealand from Rarotonga to help earn money for his family. Photo: Supplied/ Maritime Union of New Zealand
Tributes are pouring out for 26-year-old Atiroa Tuaiti, who leaves behind his partner and two young children - his youngest born just last October.
It is the fourth death involving the port since 2017 and now others are joining the Maritime Union's call for a national inquiry into port safety.
An investigation into the death is underway, but it is understood Tuaiti fell while working on a container ship.
Maritime Union national secretary Craig Harrison said it was devastating for the man's father who was working nearby.
"The family [has] come over from Rarotonga, trying to make good and get ahead in the big New Zealand and a father has watched his son die at work."
A video posted to Facebook showed the grieving and shocked father, supported by colleagues, with his hand on his son's covered body.
The board's latest update to council, four weeks ago, showed the port had already missed its target of reducing lost-time injuries by half. Lost-time injuries are those that lead to time off work, none of which were serious workplace injuries or illnesses.
There were 12 in the last three months of last year - up from nine in the previous quarter.
A review of the port's health and safety last March recommended 45 areas for improvement.
The port had completed less than half last month with the remainder delayed by lockdowns.
Despite that, a port spokesperson said "they are focussed on implementing the recommendations in the review and additional safety actions, and are well on track to do so."
The Maritime Union said there had been too many deaths and injuries in New Zealand ports recently, and has called for a national inquiry into port safety.
Political commentator Shane Te Pou agreed it was time.
"Often these kaimahi are relatively transient, will go from one port to another - also I think that's a concern, as we unshackle the supply chain and you've got this just-in-time delivery mechanism that puts a hell of a lot of pressure on workers to do things as quickly as possible," he said.
"If you've got a national approach you can have national standards in terms of training. and you can have national standards in terms of engaging with contractors."
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood told Checkpoint he was seriously considering a national inquiry into ports. However he wants a formal proposal from the union.
"We need to make sure that we don't duplicate things and just have a report for the sake of being seen to do something."
He said it was not true that workplace deaths were inevitable.
"I would expect that whenever we have a number of deaths in a sector that there is action. The rates of harm over a number of years are not acceptable, in this sector," Wood said.
There had been six deaths in the past six years in New Zealand ports.
"We have been sitting down with the workplaces and the unions to work through this. Unions have confirmed some positive work on safety has taken place at ports. I have seen some evidence of positive shift over time."
"Is there more to do? Yes there is. This needs to be another wake-up call that everyone needs to be focused on implementing those recommendations [from reviews].
"We shouldn't be tolerating any injuries or deaths in the workplace - in any sector."
Te Pou said the openly fractious relationship between unions and Ports of Auckland appears to be thawing under new governance and management.
Jan Dawson stepped in to chair the board last August, and was not available for an interview today.
She made these comments at the latest update to council, talking about the union's involvement in a pōwhiri this month for newly appointed chief executive Roger Gray.
"In the past they would be standing on the grassy bank opposite where we were having the welcome with placards and shouting to disrupt us, so they said they've come a long way."
For now, those working at Ports of Auckland are feeling the pain of losing a colleague.
Harrison said union members around the country were collecting donations for Tuaiti's family, and wanted to help with funeral costs.
"There'll be a few workers that will need to take some time off work. You'll find a lot of them are connected by extended families."
He said there would be a ceremonial blessing tomorrow at the port.
Former Ports chief executive Tony Gibson stepped down from the top job in May last year. His resignation followed a scathing independenthealth and safety review into operations there.
The review was ordered by the Auckland City Council after multiple injuries and two onsite deaths at the port, and it revealed major safety concerns and laid the blame with management.
In August last year Gibson was charged with the death of stevedore Pala'amo Kalati, at the facility the year before.
In June last year worker Janesh Prasad was killed at the Ports of Auckland transport hub in South Auckland during a tornado.
In December 2020 Ports of Auckland was fined by a judge over the death of young father Laboom Dyer, who was critically injured in 2018 after a crane toppled.
In July 2020 Ports of Auckland was fined in court over the death of swimmer Leslie Gelberger, who was struck by a pilot boat owned by Ports of Auckland.
