After more than 18 months of enterprise agreement (EA) negotiations, members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) have moved forward with protected industrial action against Patrick Terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle.
- Port of Fremantle: 48-hour stoppage over the Sept. 24th weekend
- Port of Sydney: Planned 48-hour stoppage over the Oct. 2nd weekend
- Port of Brisbane: 24-hour stoppage on October 13 and other action
- Port of Melbourne: Planned rolling 12-hour stoppages every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in October
Media-based finger-pointing between executives at both Patrick Terminals and the MUA means shippers and Australian consumers can anticipate severe supply chain delays heading into the holiday season. Strikes at ports across the country will impact the deliveries of everything from electronics to toys, furniture, food and more.
Severe COVID outbreaks at Melbourne and Sydney have also impacted terminal capacity; just last week, Victoria International Terminals (VICT) was shut down for over three days after positive cases.
Container vessel dwell time (wait to berth) increased at most Australian ports:
- Sydney – 18 days
- Melbourne – 9 days
- Brisbane – 8 days
- Freemantle – 3 days
As Green continues to monitor the situation, stay up-to-date on freight news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
