December 20, 2024
Pictured: a silhouette of a breakbulk vessel with gathering dark storm clouds. Photo credit: Pixabay.

Extensive Christmas strikes break out on the break bulk and vehicular waterfront

By Shipping Australia

Break bulk shipping to / from Australia is facing a very rough Christmas and New Year after the CFMEU handed out notice of two weeks’ worth of industrial action at Port Kembla (20 December to 3rd January), Fremantle (23 December to 30 December) and Melbourne (23 December to 3rd January).

It’s pretty extensive stuff, the details of which are listed by Gulf Agency Company it its “Hot Port News” bulletin.

And it is hot port news.

GAC adds that industrial action has also been announced in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Darwin too.

Industrial action includes eight hour stoppages, consecutive eight hour stoppages (leading, in some case to 32-hour stoppages) only eight hour shifts, no shift extensions, ban on shift pre-starts, fixed start times, no variations to start times and more.

For the details of the action, readers are directed to GAC’s Hot Port News.

Let there be no misunderstanding here. Although these strikes don’t attract the same level of interest as strikes on the containerised waterfront, these strikes are potentially highly damaging to Australia’s economic interests.

Many of these ports handle high volumes of vehicular traffic. That’s family cars to you and me. But it’s also wheeled equipment and farm machinery too.

Do not be at all surprised if, at some point in the first half of next year, you find that wait times to buy new family cars suddenly stretch out. There could well be a delay – this kind of shipping trade reacts a bit more slowly to disruption than container shipping (there’s just a lot less of it) before there is a blow-out in lead times, but if this size of industrial strike continues then it is surely coming, sooner or later.

These ports are also break bulk ports which means that they handle break bulk cargo. Break bulk is typically cargo that is oddly shaped, big, or heavy, or all three. Think, for example, tunnel boring machines and all manner of other large pieces of equipment. Think also of windmill blades.

One of the real worries is the problems it will cause to major infrastructure construction projects of all kinds around the country. The cascading consequences and disruption to such projects can be severe and the costs just massively blow out everywhere.

Strikes of this magnitude at our break bulk and our vehicular portsย  is a very serious economic development. And potentially could become extremely serious.

Shipping Australia continues to brief governments on these developments.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Search

Become a Member

Membership is open to all ship owners, operators and agents both Australian and International providing services to or within Australia.

Upcoming Events

Mar 6
2025 Phil Kelly OAM Perpetual Golf Challenge (Victoria)
The 2025 SAL VIC Golf Day will be held on Thursday 6th March 2025 at the scenic Latrobe Golf Club. Bookings must close by Friday 28th February Already, at this early stage, the indications are that we will have a fully booked event. Come along and enjoy a great course and scenery.ย  Latrobe Golf Club...

Latest News

Shaping Careers for Women: Applications Now Open for 2025 Patrick Terminals WILpower Cadet Program
By Patrick Terminals Patrick Terminals has announced that applications are now open for the 2025 WILpower Cadet Program, an initiative designed to promote gender diversity within the stevedoring and maritime industries. This program offers women career development opportunities in maritime and logistics, helping to increase the representation of women in key roles across Patrick Terminals....
AMSA & Fair Work Ombudsman join forces to tackle wage theft on foreign-flagged vessels
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), in collaboration with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), has taken a step in addressing wage theft issues aboard foreign-flagged vessels operating under the Coastal Trading Act. The pilot program, which will focus on compliance monitoring of foreign-flagged vessels operating in Australian waters, aims to ensure adherence to wage entitlements...

Latest Magazine

Shipping Australia โ€“ Annual Review 2024
January, 2025

Subscribe to the Signal Newsletter

Be the first to know about releases and industry news and insights or catch up on any editions you missed.

Search