Asia/Pacific News
Australian Port Workers Planning Further Strike Action
An Australian dockworkers union, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), has announced further work stoppage set for April 13 at Sydney's Autostrad Terminal, following a similar 72 hour stoppage at the Fremantle container terminal, which ran from April 6 until April 9, IHS Fairplay reports.
The strike action is said to be intended to garner MUA job security before a joint takeover of Asciano Limited's (Asciano) Patrick Corporation (Patrick) by Qube Holdings and Brookfield is finalised in mid-2016.
"We are doing everything we can to resolve all outstanding issues as quickly as possible," said management from Patrick, calling the workers union's decision for further strike action "entirely unwarranted."
"As always, our National Operations Centre (NOC) will contact your operational teams and work to minimise disruption to vessel schedules," Patrick's management assured its customers.
While Patrick is said to deal with approximately 40 percent of all Australia's container trade, the industrial action is reported to have been confined to the Fremantle and Sydney ports and has not affected Patrick terminals in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Negotiations between the port workers and operators are said to be continuing.
