Logistics News

Patrick faces widespread MUA disruption

Melbourne terminal looking at 40 union action notifications

 

Australian supply chains look set for disruption over the months before Christmas.

Stevedore Patrick has warned of its receipt of 40 Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) industrial action notifications for its port of Melbourne East Swanston Terminal alone, expected to close the facility every Monday, Wednesday and Friday next month, with impacts across all other days of the month.

But the other mainland container ports will also be affected.

“The MUA is clearly embarking on a major pre-Christmas industrial campaign Patrick CEO Michael Jovicic said.

“For more than a year, we have been dealing with overtime and other bans at ports around the country.

“Last week, they announced strike action at Port Botany commencing next Friday.

“Then late on Friday, the MUA hit Patrick with forty notices of industrial action in Melbourne in addition to industrial action and stoppages at our other terminals in Sydney, Fremantle and Brisbane.”


Read about trade services sector efforts to end disputation, here


The Patrick take on the hit to terminal operations nationally is as follows:

  • Sydney AutoStrad – Delays are forecast to extend to up to two days with the 24-hour stoppages across the first weekend in October 
  • Brisbane AutoStrad – The terminal is currently experiencing low-level impact from industrial action
  • Fremantle – The terminal continues to be impacted by industrial action resulting in some extended port stays for ships.
  • Melbourne – Melbourne terminal will be impacted by significant delays due to industrial action. “We are attempting to support other stevedores and their customers in Melbourne that are facing restricted operations due to Covid-19 outbreaks however industrial action has severely impacted our capacity,” Patrick said.

 

Previous ArticleNext Article
Send this to a friend