The Fremantle Port Authority has been informed members of the Australian Maritime Officers Union WA will stop work as of Sunday morning, in a move is feared to potentially delay cargo shipments in and out of Australia by weeks.
Pilot boat operators and vessel traffic service officers will strike for 48 hours over pay conditions, with reports stating the union is calling for AU$15,000-$20,000 raises on base salaries of roughly AU$140,000 due to the contention Fremantle Port members earn as much as AU$50,000 less per year than comparable positions in other ports.
The strike and following delay in Australia’s largest port would be the latest in a string of misfortune for shipping in the Asia-Pacific region.
China’s Ningbo Port recently re-opened after a 60-hour closure due to the explosion of a container likely carrying dangerous goods on the Yang Ming vessel YM Mobility, while the global uncertainty surrounding shipping in the Red Sea region continues to hit Asia hard – particularly Singapore.
While the strike is initially slated to run for 48 hours, union officials have said there is the chance for it to run for longer.
Union industrial officer Glenn Walsh told the Australian Financial Review the strike will halt the movement of all vessels.
The strike is currently poised to start on Sunday, August 18 at 5:30am. At the time of writing there are eight ships planned to enter Fremantle Port during the strike period, with 11 planned departures according to the Fremantle Port Authority.
The planned arrivals are bound from a range of national and international ports, including Melbourne, Singapore and Jakarta.
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