The Maritime Union says the management of Ports of Auckland are "running amok" in the current industrial dispute, and are at odds with the Auckland City controlled company that owns them, ACIL.

Maritime Union National President Garry Parsloe says conflicting messages are coming from the management of the Ports of Auckland and ACIL.

"We have just walked out of a meeting this morning where Ports of Auckland management presented their plan to outsource labour at the port."

"But yesterday the Maritime Union attended a public meeting of an Auckland City council committee where ACIL CEO Gary Swift told councillors that ACIL saw outsourcing the workforce was a last resort and wanted a negotiated collective agreement at the Port."

Mr Parsloe says he welcomed the comments of Mr Swift, but suggested ACIL and the Auckland City Council needed to communicate that view clearly to Ports of Auckland management.

"It is now time for the owners of this asset to take charge and demand that port management start to negotiate towards a collective settlement that can deliver productivity and secure jobs."

He says port management were operating their own agenda and were causing massive harm to the credibility and reputation of the port in a number of areas, endangering jobs and the Auckland economy.