Shipping Australia calls for reform of industrial relations
As industrial action by an Australian dockworkers’ union against terminal operator Qube is set to ...
By Sam Whelan
Transport operators in Australia have warned of a coming “bloodbath” over spiralling fees levied by the country’s stevedores.
In addition to rapidly escalating terminal access fees, previously known as infrastructure surcharges, a newly created “long-vehicle fee” by Patrick Terminals has been slammed as “a tax on productivity”.
Introduced at Patrick’s Sydney and Brisbane terminals this month, the A$50 (US$38.80) levy applies to entry by HGVs over 26 metres in length.
According to the Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA), the fee would cost operators ...
Comment on this article
James Binnie
March 20, 2021 at 12:32 amWould Patrick please explain to me, as a retired terminal manager ex RSA, how handling of trucks carrying 4TEU are more expensive than trucks carrying less than that as most terminal operators charge per container lift and not per truck capacity.
Indeed in my last Terminal (Durban Pier1) which I started up, the truck handling charges were part of the Terminal Handling Charge levied to the shipping lines and not a separate charge to the importer (or trucker) depending on the rig used for delivery ex terminal.
The statement that one extra employee is required per shift is absolute Cr*P as truck turnaround times are related to number of boxes discharged or loaded per truck call (directly linked to the THC) and NOT linked to the truck container unit capacity.
Sounds like we are heading back to 1998 and a “Bastard Boys” scenario for those who remember the Aussie Waterfront of those days.
Australian Government – sort out your Terminal Operation / Trade Union relationships for the benefit of all Australians by whom you have been elected and who you are supposed to protect???