JOC Staff | Nov 19, 2012 4:11PM EST
Two unions, the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association and the Merchant Services Guild, have issued strike notices to Interislander, the road and rail ferry service across New Zealand’s Cook Strait, owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail.
The notices follow several months of negotiations, according to Thomas Davis, Interislander’s general manager. A settlement was negotiatied on Nov. 1, and the unions agreed to recommend the settlement to their members, but they were unable to obtain ratification, he said.
AMEA represents 70 engineering officers, and MSG represents 54 deck officers. A strike would lead to suspension of all Interislander sailings from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7.