Olympian’s accuser ‘hid dirty little secret’
The contract up for negotiation covered about 200 waterfront RMTU members.
South Island organiser John Kerr said there ‘‘isn’t enough money on the table’’ to convince the membership to accept new rosters.
The port was looking to provide more ‘‘even coverage’’ on a 24/7 basis.
While ‘‘we don’t have any philosophical objection to that ... we want to ensure it’s done safely and a proper process is undertaken to make sure fatigue is managed adequately’’, Kerr said.
‘‘What’s really critical in shaping our members’ attitudes is the exorbitant salary that is being paid to the chief executive of Lyttelton Port, which is the thick end of $1 million,’’ he said.
Lyttelton Port chief executive Peter Davie was Christchurch’s highest paid public boss last year, taking home $955,000.
‘‘Given the protracted nature of the negotiations it’s highly likely the membership will support industrial action in order to provide pressure to the employer,’’ Kerr said.
Early last year members of another union representing workers at the port – the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) – went on strike over rostering arrangements.
Davie declined to comment on the situation. A woman allegedly indecently assaulted by an Olympic athlete says her spirit, childhood and self-esteem were left broken.
Arthur Parkin, who was part of the New Zealand hockey team that claimed gold in Montreal in 1976, is on trial in the Auckland District Court facing five charges of indecent acts towards three young girls between 1975 and 1983. His trial began on Monday in front of Judge Robert Ronayne.
The court has heard from the first witness, who was allegedly indecently assaulted on two separate occasions.
She became emotional while recalling an incident that happened in the water at a beach in Northland.
She felt too ashamed to tell anyone about the incident, she said.
‘‘He was my hero – Arthur Parkin the great gold medalist.’’
A couple of years later, at a home in Auckland, the witness said Parkin indecently assaulted her while sitting in the lounge while the television was on.
‘‘It’s been a hidden dirty little secret my whole life,’’ the witness told defence lawyer Arthur Fairley during his crossexamination yesterday. That man betrayed my trust and broke my spirit and I’ve never felt worthy since.’’
Fairley asked the witness why she had not told anyone about the incidents.
She said she was only able to now articulate what happened after counselling.
Parkin pleaded not guilty to both charges involving the witness. He also denies a further three charges involving two other complainants.
The second witness told the court yesterday
Rail and Maritime Transport Union South Island organiser John Kerr
"He was my hero – Arthur Parkin the great gold medalist." Plaintiff
she did not know how to say ‘‘stop’’ or ‘‘no’’ when Parkin allegedly indecently assaulted her.
‘‘I shut off,’’ she said.
She told Crown prosecutor Fiona Culliney that Parkin had indecently assaulted her while she was lying on a couch at Parkin’s home in Auckland while Tin Tin was on the television.
‘‘I do remember him saying ‘I’m sorry’,’’ the witness said.
She told her sister shortly after the incident.
Culliney asked why the witness did not tell an adult.
‘‘Child molestation and sexual abuse wasn’t spoken of and I’d never heard anything about it,’’ she said.
‘‘I was young and Arthur was the adult and who am I to question that.’’
In 1992 the witness’ mother reported the alleged indecent assaults to the police after her daughter told her about them.
However, the daughter decided not to follow through with charges as she thought she would be blamed for Parkin’s marriage breaking up as a result.
In 2016, she told the court she decided to go to the police again after a person known to Parkin approached her about the alleged historic indecencies.
‘‘I had a civic duty to close the loop,’’ she said. f 10 men and two women.
The trial continues today.