The Maritime Union says it will be going down to the wire this week in its fight to stop two coastal oil tankers, the Kokako and the Matuku, being removed from the New Zealand coast.
The war in Eastern Europe and ongoing disruption to global supply chains strengthens the union's case, it says, against the oil companies' new model of direct imports, which is scheduled to start in earnest this month.
Martime Union national secretary Craig Harrison says the work of local tankers can't be duplicated by relying entirely on foreign shipping.
He believes a government decision on the tankers' role is imminent.
He spoke to Corin Dann.
