| Hutchison Brisbane Terminal Industrial Actions - Lack of Notice to Landside Stakeholders
CTAA has raised with Hutchison Ports Australia (HPA) the significant concerns of Brisbane container transport operators and their customers about the lack of notice of yard closures and truck appointment zone cancellations at the Hutchison Brisbane Terminal caused by Protected Industrial Actions (PIA).
Only this morning has HPA published on its Customer and Truck Appointment System Portal (see: HPAFI) a full copy of the MUA's PIA notification regarding actions to occur from 12 June 2021, and further actions planned for 22nd, 23rd, and 24th June.
The Commonwealth Fair Work Act specifies that the union must give three days' written notice of any planned action to the employer, and the written notice must specify the nature of the action and the day it will start. So, we take it that the MUA has given written notice within the timeframe specified by law.
Yet, the first that Brisbane container transport operators and their customers learnt of Brisbane Terminal closures and truck appointment system zone cancellations were in retrospect on Monday morning (15/6), Monday afternoon, and again this morning (16/6).
This lack of notice from HPA is unacceptable and has caused massive landside logistics turmoil that could have otherwise been avoided if adequate notice had been provided as soon as HPA was in receipt of the notice of protected industrial action from the MUA.
Without prior warning, transport operators had geared up for normal receival and delivery operations through HPA Brisbane Terminal on Monday, only to have the rug pulled from under them. Same with operations today (Tuesday, 16/6)
Customers expecting container deliveries are having to be told that there is a delay which affects their labour requirements and stock controls. Container transport allocations have been thrown into huge upheaval resulting in wasted resources which could have been avoided with some advanced notice. Who pays for that?
The backlog of container movements also means that many transport operators will not have the resources to now collect all of the import containers from HPA Brisbane Terminal before free time expires, even if the stevedore shifts Last Free Day timings. CTAA has asked HPA to be very sympathetic to requests for storage charge waivers and time extensions.
Container detention time delays may also be a factor, leading to importers receiving container detention invoices from shipping lines for not returning the import container on time despite the inability to collect the import container due to Terminal closures.
CTAA appreciates that Hutchison is trying to continue to negotiate in good faith with the MUA to settle outstanding matters in its Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiations.
However, we have reiterated that these continuing industrial disruptions are very debilitating, made worse by the lack of notice.
Download a CTAA Media Release on the issues below.
Regards,
Neil Chambers, Director
Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) |