Shipping Australia Limited (SAL)

Australia’s Minister condemns DP World in port dispute

Spiralling costs and fears for companies hit by the dispute between DP World Australia and their docker employees saw Australia’s Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke launch an extraordinary attack on the Middle Eastern company.

The long-running dispute between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and DP World has seen the Australian economy take a more than A$1.34 billion hit, and the dispute is costing up to A$23 million a day, according to some economic models.

Speaking...

https://container-news.com/australias-minister-condemns-dp-world-in-port-dispute/

ITF condemns Shipping Australia Limited’s opposition to national fleet

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) condemned Shipping Australia Limited (SAL) for its persistent opposition to the Australian government’s proposal to create a strategic fleet of Australian-flagged vessels.

“SAL, which represents major international shipping lines – including Evergreen, MSC, K-Line, HMM, CMA CGM, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd – seems to be more concerned with the profits of foreign multinationals than with the well-being of Australia’s economy, security, and maritime...

https://container-news.com/itf-condemns-shipping-australia-limiteds-opposition-to-national-fleet/

Shipping Australia appoints My Therese Blank as its first female director

Shipowner and operator association Shipping Australia has appointed the first female director in its 110-year history.
My Therese Blank heads Maersk Group’s Oceania-Market, covering the ocean business in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. She has more than 15 years’ experience in shipping and logistics across Europe, Asia and Oceania in senior roles including Australia sales and country director and Oceania area customer service director.
In 2013, she established Maersk’s presence …

https://theloadstar.com/shipping-australia-appoints-therese-blank-as-its-first-female-director/

Australian Union refuses to accept Svitzer’s new deal

Members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) working for the Maersk tugboat subsidiary, Svitzer, have begun a series of work restrictions after the employer’s claims for new conditions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

An MUA statement said the union had given extensive notice to the company of the industrial action in an effort to allow the company to reduce the impact on its customers.

However, the union was steadfast in its position claiming that Svitzer had shifted the goal posts...

https://container-news.com/australian-union-refuses-to-accept-svitzers-new-deal/

Empty boxes backlog in Australia intensifies due to congestion

Recent industrial action has caused a massive backlog of empty containers in Sydney and to a lesser extent in other capital city ports in Australia, according to Shipping Australia Limited (SAL).

Ocean shipping companies lose money and revenue-earning opportunities if empty boxes are uselessly hanging about in the country and SAL said in its announcement that one way to tackle the backlog is the use of “sweeper” vessels, boxships to pick up and take away empty boxes.

But the ongoing container...

https://container-news.com/empty-boxes-backlog-in-australia-deteriorate-due-to-congestion/

Aussie unions and carriers return to the negotiating table

A two-day Australian Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing due to start in today has been cancelled following an agreement between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Patrick Terminals to start new negotiations.

According to carrier representatives, Shipping Australia Limited (SAL) the FWC was due to begin deliberations whether to grant Patrick Terminal’s request to suspend all industrial action, but the two sides have agreed to new talks with a deadline for reaching agreement on 1 December.

“O...

https://container-news.com/aussie-unions-and-carriers-return-to-the-negotiating-table/

SAL acknowledges DPWA and MUA success

The ship operator’s representative body Shipping Australia Limited (SAL) has welcomed the compromise agreement reached by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and DP World Australia (DPWA).

Unions and management at DPWA have agreed in principle to a deal that will end industrial action at DPWA terminals in Port Botany, Fremantle, Melbourne and Brisbane, while offering dockers better conditions.

SAL CEO Rod Nairn, an outspoken critic of the union’s tactics, said, “it is certainly positive and...

https://container-news.com/sal-acknowledges-dpwa-and-mua-success/

Terminal operator Patrick rejects union’s peace offer

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has written to Patrick Terminals voluntarily withdraw all union action up to the date of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing scheduled to take place on 26 and 27 October.

In a statement the union said it had updated its offer to the company, saying it would roll over the existing deal for two years, with an “extended period of industrial certainty,” that would come with, what it says is an industry standard 2.5% annual pay increase.

The MUA has managed to...

https://container-news.com/terminal-operator-patrick-rejects-unions-peace-offer/

Union accuses Patrick Terminals of “spreading fear” and dishonesty

In what appears to be an intensification of the Australian docker’s dispute the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has accused management at Patrick Terminals of “spreading community fear” and lying with the aim of attacking workplace rights.

Patrick Terminals has made an application to Australia’s Fair Work Commission to end the dockers dispute at Sydney’s Botany Bay port following two years of wrangling between terminal operators and the unions.

Last week, hopes of an end to the long running...

https://container-news.com/union-accuses-patrick-terminals-of-spreading-fear-and-dishonesty/